Thousands of demonstrators rallied in the western Serbian city of Valjevo late on July 24, reigniting protests against Rio Tinto’s controversial lithium mining project, as tensions mount over the country’s role in Europe’s clean energy transition.

The protest marked a new wave of resistance against the Anglo-Australian mining giant’s plans to develop the Jadar lithium deposit, which critics warn could cause severe environmental damage.

Citizens from Valjevo, Šabac, Kosjerić and other towns converged in Valjevo's city centre around 8 p.m. on July 24, in a coordinated demonstration organised by local citizens' assemblies and the environmental group Ne damo Jadar (We Won’t Give Up Jadar).

The demonstration ended in unrest near the offices of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), where masked men threw eggs and smashed windows. One protester told local broadcaster N1 that stones and sharp objects were thrown from the building.

Serbian police detained three protest participants on July 25, with one later released on misdemeanour charges. A journalist in Valjevo reported that authorities searched homes and workplaces of demonstrators. The Ministry of Interior has yet to issue an official statement.

Chants such as “Ecology or oncology” and “Call elections, coward” echoed through the crowd, following months of anti-government protests that have swept the country since November 1, 2024. 

The protests come just weeks after the European Commission designated the Jadar project a strategic initiative under its newly adopted Critical Raw Materials Act. The Jadar site, near the town of Loznica, is projected to yield up to 58,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate annually—enough to support battery production for approximately 1.1mn electric vehicles, a key part of the EU’s climate strategy.

A memorandum of understanding signed in July 2024 between the EU and Serbia aims to secure access to critical raw materials, such as lithium, nickel, cobalt and graphite, while reducing dependence on China.

Despite European backing, Rio Tinto's project has faced persistent public opposition since mass protests erupted in 2021. The Serbian government suspended the project in early 2022 in response to public outcry, but revived it in 2024 amid soaring lithium prices and intensifying EU demand.

The EU’s involvement has sparked criticism from civil society groups and opposition leaders, who accuse Brussels of prioritising raw materials over democratic values, amid growing concerns about authoritarianism and corruption in Serbia.

Rio Tinto, which discovered the unique lithium-bearing mineral jadarite in Serbia in 2004, has invested years into planning the mine, claiming it could position Serbia as a linchpin in Europe's green transition.