Serbia’s president on Sunday accused demonstrators against a lithium mining project in the Balkan country of being part of a “hybrid” war against the Western-backed government and vowed to take strong legal action against protesters who blocked rail and road traffic in the capital a day earlier.
In one of the largest protests in recent years, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in the capital Belgrade on Saturday to oppose lithium mining in Serbia, despite warnings from authorities of a suspected plot to oust populist President Aleksandar Vucic and his government.
Some of the protesters later blocked rail tracks at two of the city’s train stations, briefly shutting down traffic on a major highway. Riot police used riot shields to push protesters away from the train stations early Sunday morning.
Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said 14 people had been taken in for questioning and that police were working to identify all those responsible for the crimes so they could be prosecuted, he said.
President Vucic told reporters on Sunday that while the main protests were democratic, the traffic blockades on the highway amounted to “the fear of a minority against the majority.”
“This is part of a hybrid approach designed to topple the government,” Vucic told reporters. “We knew everything in detail. You would think we would have surprised someone… but we have always exercised restraint, we have not used violence and we have ensured order in the country without any problems.”
Vucic said last week he had received a tip-off from Russian intelligence that Western countries were preparing a “major riot and coup” in Serbia to remove him from power.
Government officials and state media have likened Saturday’s rally to the Maidan uprising in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, that led to the ouster of then-pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2013, sparking widespread opposition. Organizers of the Belgrade protests have repeatedly denied the accusations.
Saturday’s demonstrations came after weeks of protests in dozens of cities across Serbia against government plans to allow lithium mining in Serbia’s lush agricultural region.
The plan was scrapped for 2022 after mass demonstrations that included the blockade of key bridges and roads, but was resurrected last month, boosted by a provisional agreement on “critical raw materials” that Vucic’s government signed with the European Union.
The Balkan nation maintains very close ties with both Russia and China as it seeks to formally join the EU. An EU memorandum of understanding on the mining of lithium and other key materials needed for the green transition would bring Serbia closer to the EU and reduce Europe’s reliance on China for lithium batteries and electric vehicles.
The government claims the mine is an opportunity for economic development, but critics say it will irreversibly pollute the Jadhar Valley and its vital groundwater resources and farmland.
President Vucic tried to quell criticism on Sunday, saying there would be no lithium mining for the next two years while all risks were investigated, and he also proposed a referendum on the issue, but it is unlikely to be considered by environmentalists because Vucic has allegations of voter fraud.