Thousands of protesters gathered in central Belgrade on September 1 to oppose what they claim are government efforts to suppress environmental activists who are against a planned lithium mine supported by the EU. The demonstrators assembled outside the headquarters of Radio Television of Serbia (RTS), calling for the network to publicly address the environmental concerns associated with the mine.
The protestors are against the lithium mining project proposed by the Anglo-Australian company Rio Tinto in Jadar, western Serbia. They fear that the project will lead to pollution of water and land resources in a country already grappling with severe environmental degradation.