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FREIBERG, GERMANY - DECEMBER 10: Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (not pictured) speak to the media following talks over lithium mining on December 10, 2024 in Freiberg, Germany. Germany and Serbia will be cooperating in the sustainable mining of lithium, a critical substance for the production of batteries for electric cars. A company called Zinnwald Lithium GmbH intends to mine up to 15,000 tons of lithium annually in the region of Saxony near Freiberg, enough to build one million electric car batteries. Serbia also has extensive lithium deposits.
Serbian president name-checks Assad, vows not to flee amid protests
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić on Tuesday said he would not flee in the face of demonstrations against his administration. “If they think I’m Assad, and that I’ll run away somewhere, I will not,” he said. Comparing oneself to the brutal Syrian ex-strongman wasn’t great PR – though in fairness, no one is accusing Vučić of gassing children or torturing civilians like Assad – and many Serbians are protesting persistent corruption in Belgrade.
The most recent wave of unrest started with a roof collapse at a train station that killed 15 people in the city of Novi Sad on Nov. 1. Opposition leaders seized on the tragedy to accuse Vučić’s ruling coalition of nepotism and graft that led to corners being cut on public construction projects, leaving them dangerously shoddy. The station in Novi Sad had been renovated as part of a wide deal with Chinese state companies to upgrade Serbian infrastructure.
Every Friday, protesters now blockade streets in Belgrade, Novi Sad, and other major cities, some holding signs accusing Vučić of corruption and portraying him with blood on his hands, and thousands turned out to mark the one-month anniversary of the collapse. Police have fired tear gas at demonstrators, and pro-government groups have attempted to escalate peaceful protests.
Will Vučić stick to his word? Probably. He’s weathered prolonged popular unrest before, including just last year. More than five months of demonstrations following a series of mass shootings managed to push out a few underlings, but not Vučić. We’re watching for a sacrificial lamb.
Demonstrators stand next to a fire during a protest against the new government's decision to suspend the European Union accession talks and refuse budgetary grants until 2028, in Tbilisi, Georgia December 2, 2024.
Tbilisi in turmoil: Protests erupt over suspended EU talks
Thousands of protesters clashed with police in the Georgian capital for a third consecutive night on Saturday after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s government suspended negotiations to join the European Union. Late Friday, Demonstrators broke through metal gates outside Georgia’s parliament buildings, using garbage bins and benches as makeshift barricades as riot police deployed tear gas and water cannons. Protesters also took to the streetsin other regions and cities across the country including Batumi, Kutaisi, and Zugdidi.
Kobakhidze’s EU exit comes after Western leaders condemned Georgia’s October election, which returned the ruling Georgian Dream party to power, as fraudulent. Party founder, pro-Russian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, stood accused of bribing voters, while Kobakhidze has become increasingly aligned with Moscow.
In response, President Salome Zourabichvili,who’s pro-Western, described the current government as “illegitimate” and vowed to retain her role past on Dec. 14, the date the parliament has set for picking her replacement,likely to be far-right politician and former footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili.
Hundreds of civil servants have also signed letters of protest; Georgia’s ambassadors to Bulgaria, Netherlands, and Italy resigned; and the US State Department has suspended its strategic partnership with Georgia. Kobakhidze accuses opponents of plotting a revolution similar to the 2013-2014 Maidan Uprising in Ukraine, which toppled a pro-Russian president – a precedent he does not want to see repeated.
Security force personnel walk as smoke billows from tear gas shells fired to prevent an anti-government protest by supporters of the former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) demanding the release of Khan, in Islamabad, Pakistan, November 26, 2024
“Fight to the end:” Islamabad on edge after day of violent protests
Supporters of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan broke through numerous barricades and clashed with police in the capital, Islamabad, on Tuesday, leaving at least six people — two civilians and four security officers — dead. Led by Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, protesters occupied D-Chowk, a large square in the city center, for several hours before retreating at dusk.
Bibi said the protests would continue until her husband — currently serving a three-year sentence on corruption charges he denies — was released. Khan, for his part, has urged supporters to “fight to the end” on social media. But on Wednesday, Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, said the demonstrations were “temporarily suspended” owing to “government brutality.”
It’s unclear where the protesters, many of whom came to the capital in large convoys, went as they dispersed on Tuesday. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who’s been in discussions with protest leaders, said he had suggested areas on the outskirts of Islamabad where protest rallies could be held as a compromise.
Despite the pause, more violence seems likely in the days ahead, and the government has invoked its power to deploy the army to quell public unrest. Naqvisaid police were “showing restraint” with protesters but warned that they were authorized to use deadly force if demonstrators again tried to cross into central Islamabad. Khan’s PTI claimed police had already used live rounds against protesters and that 12 of them had been injured.
A protester looks on near a burning barricade during a "national shutdown" against the election outcome, in Maputo, Mozambique, on Nov. 7, 2024.
Police and soldiers vs. protesters in Mozambique
The published results of the election found that FRELIMO’s Daniel Chapo won nearly 71% of the vote. His main opponent, independent candidate Venancio Mondlane, was given 20.3%, and opposition party RENAMO’s candidate, Ossufo Momade, came in third with 5.8%.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned on Wednesday that police and soldiers patrolling the streets of Maputo may be increasing tensions to dangerous levels. “The police must refrain from using unnecessary or disproportionate force and ensure that they manage protests in line with Mozambique’s international human rights obligations,” Türk said.
Fearing the spread of unrest, South Africa has closed, partially reopened, and then reclosed its border with Mozambique this week.
A woman sitting at her house, looks on as Cuba suffers a third major setback in restoring power to the island, with millions still without electrical service, in Havana, Cuba, October 20, 2024.
Will Cuba’s government collapse with its grid?
Millions of Cubans remain in the dark amid a worsening power crisis. The collapse first hit Cuba’s western provinces, including the capital of Havana, on Friday, with no clear timeline for restoration. While the Antonio Guiteras power plant was brought back online over the weekend, its 500-megawatt output falls far short of the 3 gigawatts the island needs, and its output has dropped to 370 megawatts.
Residents are cooking on open fires, water supplies are threatened, bread is running out, and people are running out of patience – which led to protests in Marianao and Cuatro Caminos on Saturday.
Power cuts and food rationing prompted protests earlier this year, and while theregime remained in charge, this latest crisis is the worst since Hurricane Ian damaged Cuba’s power grid in 2022. President Miguel Díaz-Canelblames the US embargo, which has left Cuba unable to maintain electric plants due to a lack of foreign reserves to pay for parts. Cuts in subsidized oil imports from Venezuela also made it impossible to operate facilities due to lack of fuel, leaving some households without power for eight hours a day this year.
The crisis has been compounded by Hurricane Oscar, which made landfall on Sunday with winds of up to 85 mph and 5 to 15 inches of rain. We’ll be watching how the regime and public anger weather the storm.Jousef Shkoukani and his wife, Yara Rashad, join other protesters in Chicago's Union Park on Monday, Aug. 19.
DNC protesters urge Harris to stop sending arms to Israel
Protesters incensed over US support for Israel amid the war in Gaza gathered in Chicago’s Union Park on Monday as the Democratic National Convention kicked off just blocks away in the United Center. They accused the Biden administration of enabling “genocide” in the enclave by continuing to provide Israel with arms amid a devastating war that’s killed over 40,000 Palestinians.
The protesters carried signs that said both Democrats and Republicans have “blood on their hands” and called for an end to US aid to Israel. Some sold t-shirts with pro-Palestinian slogans for $25, pledging to donate the money toward relief in Gaza.
“It’s incredibly important that we get a cease-fire, at the very least,” protester Jousef Shkoukani, 29, told GZERO Media.
“For Palestinians, it’s incredibly important that people start to recognize that we’re not just numbers and that we’re dying in large quantities based on Israel’s indiscriminate bombing,” added Shkoukani, a Chicagoan whose father immigrated to the US from Palestine.
Shkoukani, one of thousands who protested on Monday, said that he previously knocked on doors for President Joe Biden but now identifies as an independent. He said the Democratic Party has “talked the talk but never walked the walk with respect to its policies on Middle Eastern affairs,” adding that what the protesters are looking for from Vice President Kamala Harris and Democrats is “a commitment to a permanent cease-fire if elected.”
Chicago has been bracing for major protests surrounding the DNC for months amid the continued fighting in Gaza, particularly after divisive demonstrations at US college campuses earlier this year. There’s a heavy, palpable police presence in the city. And while Monday’s protests were largely peaceful, a small group of demonstrators broke through a barrier near the convention, and several were reportedly detained by police.
Though the mood inside the United Center was far more celebratory, the war was also an inescapable topic. Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York praised Harris’ support for a cease-fire in Gaza in her remarks to the convention and was met with loud applause. Later on, Biden said his administration was working around the clock to bring the hostages home from Gaza and secure a cease-fire to end the war. He went on to say that the protesters out on the streets of Chicago had “a point,” adding that “a lot of innocent people are being killed, on both sides.” But most of the prominent Democrats who took to the convention stage largely used their time to tout Harris’ qualifications for president while blasting former President Donald Trump as a convicted felon and danger to democracy.
More Gaza-related protests are planned for this week, and the beginnings of an encampment could be spotted in Union Park — next to a sign that read “PIG FREE ZONE.” We’ll be watching to see how the demonstrations play out, and whether they influence the tone and direction of the convention in the days ahead.
A demonstrator holds a flag as people block the Centre Railway Station during a protest against Rio Tinto's lithium mining project, in Belgrade, Serbia, August 10, 2024.
Serbia’s lithium mine: Green gold or toxic threat?
On Saturday, the US State Department denied it supported anti-government protests in Serbia centered on a proposed lithium mine in Serbiathat sparked widespread protests last week, which opposition figures called to continue. As Serbian farmers, environmentalists, and citizens fight to protect the scenic Jadar valley, it has also become a proxy battleground for Washington, Berlin, Moscow, and Beijing.
The Jadar Valley is a lush farming area rich in lithium ore, essential for electric vehicle batteries. Rio Tinto’s $2.4 billion mining and refining project there couldprovide as much as nine-tenths of Europe’s current lithium needs, enough foran estimated 1 million EV batteries a year.
Last month, Serbiareinstated approval for the project, which had been withdrawn in 2022 following anti-government protests. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic insisted that strict environmental safety protocols will be put in place, but opponents claim the project will destroy farmland and contaminate groundwater.
US and German officials support the mine as part of Europe’s green transition, and to curb dependence on China, currently the main source of the processed form of the mineral. And while Serbia is currently cozy with both China and Russia, the mine would further integrate the country’s economy with that of Europe and the US.
This, together with revelations that Serbia is a key supplier of munitions to Ukraine, has spawned speculation that the protests are the work of pro-Russia factions, eager to keep Belgrade in Moscow’s orbit. Meanwhile, Vucic claims they are led by “anarchists, Marxists, and hidden fascists” and said last week that Moscow warned him of a brewing coup. We’ll be watching whether more Serbs take to the streets in the coming days — and whether interest in the project falls along with EV sales.
People celebrate the resignation of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka, Bangladesh, August 5, 2024.
PM Hasina resigns, flees Bangladesh amid violence
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinaresigned early Monday and reportedly fled the country amid violent mass protests. On Sunday, around 100 people, including at least 13 police officers, were killed in clashes across the country, as security forces struggled to contain some of the worst violence since independence in 1971.
As thousands of people streamed into the heart of the capital Dhaka today, the military announced it would hold a press conference in the late afternoon. By around 3 p.m. local time, Hasina was spotted at the airport, and television stations broadcast video of demonstrators storming Hasina’s official residence and looting it before the clock struck 4 p.m. The army announced her resignation minutes later.
What happens now? BangladeshiChief of Army Staff Gen. Waker-uz-Zaman, announced that the army has consulted with the leaders of major political parties and civil society organs and will request the formation of a caretaker government.
Hasina had been in charge for 20 of the last 28 years. Her legacy, and that of her father, slain independence movement leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, run deep in the corridors of power in Dhaka. It is unclear where Hasina has gone (India is rumored). We’ll be watching to see whether demonstrators are satiated by the caretaker government, and whether Bangladesh’s hard-earned manufacturing success can be sustained through this tumultuous political period.