In Serbian village, women fight to escape encroaching mine

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A view of the mining town of Bor, Serbia, April 4, 2024. Krivelj's landscape is scarred by piles of mine waste, lines of orange trucks snaking up the brown valley and cracked houses from the tremors of the underground explosions. "One day I was standing in the centre of the village, and I kept seeing truck after truck driving through. The small bridge was swinging under their weight," said Vukosava Radivojevic, 78, who is one of two dozen women taking shifts day and night to protest against the mine. "Then I told my granddaughter something needs to be done." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

People attend a meeting about local ecological issues in a school gym in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, March 30, 2024. Mining in Krivelj started in the 1970s, and even though standards have since improved, production has quadrupled since it was taken over in 2018 by China's Zijin Mining. "We are forced to block the road, because we are poisoned, everything is polluted, we can't grow vegetables anymore," said Vukosava Radivojevic, 78, one of the two dozen women protesting against the mine. "We just want to be safe, we earned that right." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Marija Jankucic, 20, who is a student, poses for a picture in front of the grocery shop where she works, in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 3, 2024. "I am hoping for a new village in a peaceful area," said Jankucic during an interview with Reuters. REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Deana Jovanovic, 40, who is an Anthropology professor, poses for a picture in front of the mining town of Bor, just outside the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 4, 2024. "I expect that the heroines of the village will get what they are fighting for: Systematic support from the government and the Zijin company which could provide them life with dignity," said Jovanovic during an interview with Reuters. "I hope they will be able to plan their own future together." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Debica Kostandinovic, 58, who is a housewife, poses for a picture inside her bedroom, in the village of Krivelj, April 3, 2024. "We have built our house for years, and the money they (Zijin) are offering us for it, we can't buy a single apartment,” said Kostandinovic during an interview with Reuters. Zijin has said it is dedicated to formulating relocation plans with transparency and fairness. REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Two women wait at a bus stop, where obituaries are taped up behind them, in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 3, 2024. Zijin has already relocated many of the villagers, but the majority of the population in Krivelj are Vlachs - Orthodox Christians who have preserved their own language and customs through centuries and want to move as one. "We want that new village to be called Krivelj as well. Of course there will be no river there, but we want to move the church, the library and the school," said Jasna Tomic, one of the two dozen women protesting against the mine. REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Posters displaying houses for sale are taped up next to an obituary on a tree in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 2, 2024. Zijin has already relocated many of the villagers, but the majority of the population in Krivelj are Vlachs - Orthodox Christians who have preserved their own language and customs through centuries and want to move as one. "We want that new village to be called Krivelj as well. Of course there will be no river there, but we want to move the church, the library and the school," said Jasna Tomic, one of the two dozen women protesting against the mine. REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Nurse Tamara Novakovic, 38, raises her fist as she poses for a picture by a barricade in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 4, 2024. "I was born here, my kids were born here, they go to school here," said Novakovic during an interview with Reuters. "The village of Krivelj must continue to live, we can be relocated only with the following infrastructure, school, church..." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Marija Bufanovic, 53, who is a housewife, poses for a picture in her dining room, in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 3, 2024. "There isn't life here anymore," said Bufanovic during an interview with Reuters. "We all want to move together, otherwise, if we move one by one, wherever we end up we will be strangers forever." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES

A dog stands in front of an old cemetery and tailings, waste materials left over after a mineral is extracted from ore, at the Zmajevo settlement near the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 3, 2024. Krivelj's landscape is scarred by piles of mine waste, lines of orange trucks snaking up the brown valley and cracked houses from the tremors of the underground explosions. "One day I was standing in the centre of the village, and I kept seeing truck after truck driving through. The small bridge was swinging under their weight," said Vukosava Radivojevic, 78, who is one of two dozen women taking shifts day and night to protest against the mine. "Then I told my granddaughter something needs to be done." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Trucks work at an open-pit copper mine, run by a subsidiary of China's Zijin Mining, near the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 3, 2024. Krivelj's landscape is scarred by piles of mine waste, lines of orange trucks snaking up the brown valley and cracked houses from the tremors of the underground explosions. "One day I was standing in the centre of the village, and I kept seeing truck after truck driving through. The small bridge was swinging under their weight," said Vukosava Radivojevic, 78, who is one of two dozen women taking shifts day and night to protest against the mine. "Then I told my granddaughter something needs to be done." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Debica Kostandinovic, 58, who is a housewife, sits at a road blockade in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 3, 2024. Two dozen women take shifts day and night on a small bridge in Krivelj to protest against the mine, run by a subsidiary of China's Zijin Mining, that dominates the surrounding countryside and encroaches on their homes. "We've spent years building our village, and with the money they (Zijin company) are offering us for our houses, we can't buy a single apartment," said Kostandinovic. REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Marija Bufanovic, 53, who is a housewife, checks her phone at the blockade in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 2, 2024. Two dozen women take shifts day and night on a small bridge in Krivelj to protest against the mine, run by a subsidiary of China's Zijin Mining, that dominates the surrounding countryside and encroaches on their homes. "We've spent years building our village, and with the money they (Zijin company) are offering us for our houses, we can't buy a single apartment," said Kostandinovic. REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Stana Jorgovanovic, 79, who is a housewife, poses for a picture at a barricade, in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 3, 2024. "We are defending our village here and the houses where we were born," said Jorgovanovic during an interview with Reuters. "I feel so sorry about our beautiful village, I am not sure I will survive the move." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

A destroyed house stands near an open-pit copper mine, run by a subsidiary of China's Zijin Mining, near to the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 4, 2024. Zijin has already relocated many of the villagers, but the majority of the population in Krivelj are Vlachs - Orthodox Christians who have preserved their own language and customs through centuries and want to move as one. "We want that new village to be called Krivelj as well. Of course there will be no river there, but we want to move the church, the library and the school," said Jasna Tomic, one of the two dozen women protesting against the mine. REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

An employee stands in front of the entrance to a mill facility of a copper mine, run by a subsidiary of China's Zijin Mining, near the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 5, 2024. Mining in Krivelj started in the 1970s, and even though standards have since improved, production has quadrupled since it was taken over in 2018 by China's Zijin Mining. "The site suffered from severe direct emissions of gases and wastewater, resulting in highly polluted surroundings including air, rivers, and soil," Zijin said in a statement to Reuters. REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

The mining town of Bor is seen from a hill near the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 3, 2024. Krivelj's landscape is scarred by piles of mine waste, lines of orange trucks snaking up the brown valley and cracked houses from the tremors of the underground explosions. "One day I was standing in the centre of the village, and I kept seeing truck after truck driving through. The small bridge was swinging under their weight," said Vukosava Radivojevic, 78, who is one of two dozen women taking shifts day and night to protest against the mine. "Then I told my granddaughter something needs to be done." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A dog looks out of a window of an apartment in the mining town of Bor, Serbia, April 2, 2024. Zijin has already relocated many of the villagers, but the majority of the population in Krivelj are Vlachs - Orthodox Christians who have preserved their own language and customs through centuries and want to move as one. "We want that new village to be called Krivelj as well. Of course there will be no river there, but we want to move the church, the library and the school," said Jasna Tomic, one of the two dozen women protesting against the mine. REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Tamara Novakovic, 38, raises her fist as she poses for a picture by a barricade in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 4, 2024. "I was born here, my kids were born here, they go to school here," said Novakovic during an interview with Reuters. "The village of Krivelj must continue to live, we can be relocated only with the following infrastructure, school, church..." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Milosava Fufanovic, who is an elementary school teacher, sits on her sofa as she poses for a picture, at her family home in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 3, 2024. "I want a new village of Krivelj. I need a piece of land, a church and a cemetery," said Fufanovic during an interview with Reuters. "If all the people leave the barricade I will be the last standing." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Teodora Tomic, 22, who is a student, poses for a picture inside a church in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 4, 2024. "We want to show the Zijin company that we still exist," said Tomic during an interview with Reuters. "I am hoping for a new village somewhere without any influence from the mine." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

A drone view shows a cemetery in front of an open-pit copper mine, run by a subsidiary of China's Zijin Mining, near the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 5, 2024. Krivelj's landscape is scarred by piles of mine waste, lines of orange trucks snaking up the brown valley and cracked houses from the tremors of the underground explosions. "One day I was standing in the centre of the village, and I kept seeing truck after truck driving through. The small bridge was swinging under their weight," said Vukosava Radivojevic, 78, who is one of two dozen women taking shifts day and night to protest against the mine. "Then I told my granddaughter something needs to be done." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Teodora Tomic, 22, who is a student, poses for a picture inside a church in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 4, 2024. "We want to show the Zijin company that we still exist," Tomic said during an interview with Reuters. "I am hoping for a new village somewhere without any influence from the mine." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Natasa Kostandinovic, 39, who is a housewife, poses for a picture in the garden of her family house in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 3, 2024. "I am worried for the safety of our children," said Kostandinovic during an interview with Reuters. "We want a new village of Krivelj." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Marija Bufanovic, 53, who is a housewife, poses for a picture in her terrace, in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 3, 2024. "There isn't life here anymore," said Bufanovic during an interview with Reuters. "We all want to move together, otherwise, if we move one by one, wherever we end up we will be strangers forever." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

An employee looks out from a terrace of a copper mine dispatch centre, run by a subsidiary of China's Zijin Mining, near the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 5, 2024. Mining in Krivelj started in the 1970s, and even though standards have since improved, production has quadrupled since it was taken over in 2018 by China's Zijin Mining. "The site suffered from severe direct emissions of gases and wastewater, resulting in highly polluted surroundings including air, rivers, and soil," Zijin said in a statement to Reuters. REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Stana Jorgovanovic, 79, who is a housewife, poses for a picture inside a tent on a barricade, in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 3, 2024. "We are defending our village here and the houses where we were born," said Jorgovanovic during an interview with Reuters. "I feel so sorry about our beautiful village, I am not sure I will survive the move." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Decorations are seen on the window of a copper mine dispatch centre, run by a subsidiary of China's Zijin Mining, near the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 5, 2024. Mining in Krivelj started in the 1970s, and even though standards have since improved, production has quadrupled since it was taken over in 2018 by China's Zijin Mining. "The site suffered from severe direct emissions of gases and wastewater, resulting in highly polluted surroundings including air, rivers, and soil," Zijin said in a statement to Reuters. REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A destroyed house is seen near an open-pit copper mine, run by a subsidiary of China's Zijin Mining, near to the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 4, 2024. Zijin has already relocated many of the villagers, but the majority of the population in Krivelj are Vlachs - Orthodox Christians who have preserved their own language and customs through centuries and want to move as one. "We want that new village to be called Krivelj as well. Of course there will be no river there, but we want to move the church, the library and the school," said Jasna Tomic, one of the two dozen women protesting against the mine. REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Jelka Cosic, 57, who is a sales woman, poses for a picture next to her family home in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 3, 2024. "I come here everyday from a neighbouring town of Bor where I live now, to support my brother and other villagers," said Cosic during an interview with Reuters. REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Vukosava Radivojevic, 78, who is a housewife, poses for a picture at a barricade in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 3, 2024. "We are forced to block the road, because we are poisoned, everything is polluted, we can't grow vegetables anymore and we are people from the village," said Radivojevic during an interview with Reuters. "We just want to be safe, we earned that right." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Vukosava Radivojevic, 78, who is a housewife, poses for a picture in front of a sign saying "blockade" at a barricade, in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 3, 2024. "We are forced to block the road, because we are poisoned, everything is polluted, we can't grow vegetables anymore and we are people from the village," said Radivojevic during an interview with Reuters. "We just want to be safe, we earned that right." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A destroyed house is seen near an open-pit copper mine, run by a subsidiary of China's Zijin Mining, near to the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 4, 2024. Krivelj's landscape is scarred by piles of mine waste, lines of orange trucks snaking up the brown valley and cracked houses from the tremors of the underground explosions. "One day I was standing in the centre of the village, and I kept seeing truck after truck driving through. The small bridge was swinging under their weight," said Vukosava Radivojevic, 78, who is one of two dozen women taking shifts day and night to protest against the mine. "Then I told my granddaughter something needs to be done." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Two girls look out from the doorway of their house at the Zmajevo settlement near the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 4, 2024. Krivelj's landscape is scarred by piles of mine waste, lines of orange trucks snaking up the brown valley and cracked houses from the tremors of the underground explosions. "One day I was standing in the centre of the village, and I kept seeing truck after truck driving through. The small bridge was swinging under their weight," said Vukosava Radivojevic, 78, who is one of two dozen women taking shifts day and night to protest against the mine. "Then I told my granddaughter something needs to be done." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A drone view shows destroyed houses near an open-pit copper mine, run by a subsidiary of China's Zijin Mining, near to the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 4, 2024. Krivelj's landscape is scarred by piles of mine waste, lines of orange trucks snaking up the brown valley and cracked houses from the tremors of the underground explosions. "One day I was standing in the centre of the village, and I kept seeing truck after truck driving through. The small bridge was swinging under their weight," said Vukosava Radivojevic, 78, who is one of two dozen women taking shifts day and night to protest against the mine. "Then I told my granddaughter something needs to be done." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Framed pictures of soldiers returned from World War I and of relatives hang on the wall of an old house owned by Tomic family in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 4, 2024. Zijin has already relocated many of the villagers, but the majority of the population in Krivelj are Vlachs - Orthodox Christians who have preserved their own language and customs through centuries and want to move as one. "We want that new village to be called Krivelj as well. Of course there will be no river there, but we want to move the church, the library and the school," said Jasna Tomic, one of the two dozen women protesting against the mine. REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Marija Jankucic, 20, who is a student, poses for a picture inside the grocery shop where she works, in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 3, 2024. "I am hoping for a new village in a peaceful area," said Jankucic during an interview with Reuters. REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

A worker walks down the stairs inside the mill facility of a copper mine, run by a subsidiary of China's Zijin Mining, near the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 5, 2024. Mining in Krivelj started in the 1970s, and even though standards have since improved, production has quadrupled since it was taken over in 2018 by China's Zijin Mining. "The site suffered from severe direct emissions of gases and wastewater, resulting in highly polluted surroundings including air, rivers, and soil," Zijin said in a statement to Reuters. REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Milosava Fufanovic, who is an elementary school teacher, poses for a picture in the dining room of her family home, in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 3, 2024. "I want a new village of Krivelj. I need a piece of land, a church and a cemetery," said Fufanovic during an interview with Reuters. "If all the people leave the barricade I will be the last standing." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Children play on swings in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, March 30, 2024. Zijin has already relocated many of the villagers, but the majority of the population in Krivelj are Vlachs - Orthodox Christians who have preserved their own language and customs through centuries and want to move as one. "We want that new village to be called Krivelj as well. Of course there will be no river there, but we want to move the church, the library and the school," said Jasna Tomic, one of the two dozen women protesting against the mine. REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Slavica Lazarevic, 57, who is a teacher, poses for a picture inside her classroom in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 4, 2024. "The safety of our children is at risk. I hope all the people will move together so we can keep our ethnicity," said Lazarevic during an interview with Reuters. "Hoping for a new school where I could teach." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A construction site sign is seen on the ground in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 3, 2024. Mining in Krivelj started in the 1970s, and even though standards have since improved, production has quadrupled since it was taken over in 2018 by China's Zijin Mining. "The site suffered from severe direct emissions of gases and wastewater, resulting in highly polluted surroundings including air, rivers, and soil," Zijin said in a statement to Reuters. REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A cross at a cemetery is seen in front of tailings, waste materials left over after a mineral is extracted from ore, at the Zmajevo settlement near the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 2, 2024. Krivelj's landscape is scarred by piles of mine waste, lines of orange trucks snaking up the brown valley and cracked houses from the tremors of the underground explosions. "One day I was standing in the centre of the village, and I kept seeing truck after truck driving through. The small bridge was swinging under their weight," said Vukosava Radivojevic, 78, who is one of two dozen women taking shifts day and night to protest against the mine. "Then I told my granddaughter something needs to be done." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Katarina Tomic, 25, who is a freelancer, poses for a picture by her family house in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 4, 2024. "I expect a compromise and solution for nature and for the people of our beautiful village," said Tomic during an interview with Reuters. REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Nevenka Jankucic (left), 45, and her colleague Dusica Becarevic, 53, both chefs and cleaners at the village school, pose for a picture by the elementary school wall in Krivelj, April 3, 2024. "There is so much pollution in the village, we are unhappy with the poor ecological situation..." said Jankucic and Becarevic during an interview with Reuters. "We all want to be relocated together." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Jasna Tomic, 51, who is an economist, poses for a picture on the stairs of her old family house, in the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 4, 2024. "There was no other way for the Serbian government nor the Zijin company to hear us about the difficult situation in the village of Krivelj" said Tomic on the blockade, during an interview with Reuters. REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A worker stands in a mill, which is part of a copper mine, run by a subsidiary of China's Zijin Mining, near the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 5, 2024. Mining in Krivelj started in the 1970s, and even though standards have since improved, production has quadrupled since it was taken over in 2018 by China's Zijin Mining. "The site suffered from severe direct emissions of gases and wastewater, resulting in highly polluted surroundings including air, rivers, and soil," Zijin said in a statement to Reuters. REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Aleksa Radonic, 80, who is a retired teacher, covers his mouth with his scarf in the village of Krivelj, April 4, 2024. Two dozen women take shifts day and night on a small bridge in Krivelj to protest against the mine, run by a subsidiary of China's Zijin Mining, that dominates the surrounding countryside and encroaches on their homes. "We are forced to block the road, because we are poisoned, everything is polluted, we can't grow vegetables anymore," said Vukosava Radivojevic, 78, one of the women protesting . "We just want to be safe, we earned that right." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A worker drives a vehicle in front of a mill facility of a copper mine, run by a subsidiary of China's Zijin Mining, near the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 5, 2024. Mining in Krivelj started in the 1970s, and even though standards have since improved, production has quadrupled since it was taken over in 2018 by China's Zijin Mining. "The site suffered from severe direct emissions of gases and wastewater, resulting in highly polluted surroundings including air, rivers, and soil," Zijin said in a statement to Reuters. REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Employees walk out of Serbia Zijin Copper DOO in the mining town of Bor, Serbia, April 5, 2024. Mining in Krivelj started in the 1970s, and even though standards have since improved, production has quadrupled since it was taken over in 2018 by China's Zijin Mining. "The site suffered from severe direct emissions of gases and wastewater, resulting in highly polluted surroundings including air, rivers, and soil," Zijin said in a statement to Reuters. REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

Children play in front of tailings, waste materials left after a mineral is extracted from ore, at the Zmajevo settlement near the village of Krivelj, Serbia, April 4, 2024. Krivelj's landscape is scarred by piles of mine waste, lines of orange trucks snaking up the brown valley and cracked houses from the tremors of the underground explosions. "One day I was standing in the centre of the village, and I kept seeing truck after truck driving through. The small bridge was swinging under their weight," said Vukosava Radivojevic, 78, who is one of two dozen women taking shifts day and night to protest against the mine. "Then I told my granddaughter something needs to be done." REUTERS/Marko Djurica SEARCH "DJURICA SERBIA MINES" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.