BELGRADE (Reuters) – Several thousand people blocked traffic in front of the Serbian parliament on Saturday in a protest against the lack of government action to prevent water, land and air pollution from industries such as mining sector.
Protesters, who arrived in Belgrade from all over Serbia, had banners saying “Cut corruption and crime not forests” and “Young people are leaving because they can’t breathe.”
In recent years, Serbia has begun selling its mining resources to foreign companies, despite opposition from local residents who had warned that an increase in ore exploration could cause greater pollution.
The former Yugoslav republic, which in the 1990s experienced a decade of wars and economic crisis, had no resources to deal with pollution. While aiming to join the European Union, Serbia will need billions of euros of investment to meet the bloc’s environmental standards.
Aleksandar Jovanovic, one of the leaders of the protest, told the crowd that investors were welcome in the country, but added: “But our children cannot be poisoned.”
“None of the people in power care about anything but money, they don’t care about ecology,” said one protester, who only gave his name to Marjan and had driven from the city of Jagodina, 140 kilometers (90 miles) from Belgrade, told Reuters.
Ivana Sekularac Reports; Edited by Frances Kerry