Despite two petitions with over 300,000 signatures, the views of leading lawyers
and a huge protest in Belgrade, the Serbian government has adopted the Law on
Referendum and the Law on Expropriation!
Organizers from all over the country have united to create a nationwide blockade
of roads from today at 2 pm CET for one hour. In Belgrade, scattered from all areas,
we will take Gazelle Bridge on foot. Varadinska duga in Novi Sad. Crossing near the
Balkans in Kragujevac! Organizers include Kreni Promeni, SEOS, Eko-Ustanak,
Skupstina Slobodne Srbije among many local ecological groups and the support
of the Mars Sa Drine Campaign.
This law means that the government can confiscate anyone’s property by
declaring it in the “public interest”, a term that is being broadened by the changes
in the law to mean any deal struck between the Serbian Government and an
international corporate or trade agreement. This law was passed not just because
of Rio Tinto, but other corporate interests around lithium in six provinces around
the country, as well as many other dirty foregin investments threatening our
environment! The locals do not want to sell their land at any cost.
“There are things that money cannot buy. Our land, our roots, our home, our
heritage are not for sale and neither are our souls. You don’t have our permission
to mine in Jadar! We will defend this land at the cost of our lives,” says Zlatko
Kokanovic, vice president of ‘Ne Damo Jadar’.
“We can’t let these people down! Today they will steal their property, but tomorrow
they can steal the property of any of us! The apartments where our children live,
the houses of our parents where we learned to walk or my grandfather’s plot with
a cherry tree on which hung a swing.
It seemed impossible to change the opinion about Rio Tinto, because the
government controlled the media. But we have reached millions of people with
our advertising. And the latest research shows that Rio Tinto will be replaced by
another company. It’s a won battle! But if we let this Law pass we can lose the
war!
At the protests, we announced that we would enter the roadblocks for 1 hour. In
Belgrade, we will block the international highway! I am aware that calling this act
is a violation of the law, but we will not allow Serbia to become a colony!” Savo
Manojlovic, Kreni-Promeni
Protest organizers have explicitly advised: Do not try to organize the blockade
yourself. Do not get into a conflict with the police. In case there aren’t a lot of people
where you are, record the actions of the police. this is a day of peaceful blockades
of vital roads. No demolition, no vandalism!
