Protest in Front of Parliament: There Will Be No Lithium Excavation in Front of Parliament: There Will Be No Lithium Excavation

Photo: PrintScreen nova.rs

Several hundred people assembled in front of the Serbian parliament late on Sept. 30 to protest the postponement of a session to discuss banning lithium exploitation, and activists told those in power that lithium would not be extracted in Serbia and that anyone who acts to the state's detriment would be punished.

Zlatko Kokanovic of the We Won't Give Jadar Up movement said the government was obviously afraid, and called Speaker Ana Brnabic a fraud, liar and manipulator who breaks the law and Constitution every day.

"Every story has been told. At the cost of our lives we will not let you dig. You can try, but we'll be waiting for you and our actions will depend on your moves," Kokanovic said.

Dragana Rakic, an MP from the Democratic Party, told BETA at the protest that representatives of the opposition would meet with environmental organizations in Gornje Nedeljice, near Loznica, on Oct. 4 to align in their shared fight against the opening of a lithium mine in that area. Meanwhile, Brnabic posted on the X social media platform that the session on the bill to ban lithium excavation would take place on Oct. 7.