The protest took place on 23 October with four mayors of the PS (Viana do Castelo, Caminha, Vila Nova de Cerveira and Paredes de Coura) and one from the CDS-PP ( Ponte de Lima) joining the demonstration against the prospecting and research projects for lithium planned for Serra d'Arga.

All “united” to tell the Government “that mines are not worth” compromising “a unique heritage”.

“The value we have in Serra d’Arga is much higher than what could come from mining. Environmental preservation is an incalculable value in the future. Anyone with a landscape, balance and biodiversity has an inestimable heritage that will be worth much more than many mines”, said the president of the Paredes de Coura Chamber, Vítor Paulo Pereira.

The protest was organised by Corema - Movement for the Defense of the Environment and Heritage of Alto Minho, the movement in Defense of Serra da Peneda e Soajo, and the movement SOS Serra d' Arga,.

With the motto "Minho United against Mines", the protest intended to "show the Government that everything will be done to prevent this attack from happening" on the territory and to show "the strength of the Minho and Alto Minho, of the populations, municipalities and associations of five municipalities in the districts of Viana do Castelo and Braga”.

The action was called following the opening of the public consultation, initiated by the General Directorate of Energy and Geology (DGEG) two days after the municipal elections in September, of the preliminary environmental assessment report of the Lithium Prospecting and Research Program of the eight potential areas for launching the tender procedure.

The consultation period, initially scheduled until November 10, was extended by the DGEG to December 10, after the contestation of political parties, local authorities and civic movements.

Among the eight areas planned to be part of the international tender for the attribution of prospecting and research rights for lithium is an area of ​​nearly 25 thousand hectares of Serra d'Arga, which covers the municipalities of Caminha, Vila Nova de Cerveira, Viana from the Castle and Ponte de Lima.

At issue is a mountain range that is currently classified as a Protected Landscape Area of ​​Regional Interest, in a joint initiative of those four municipalities in the Viana do Castelo district to guarantee the protection of that territory from possible lithium and lithium exploration or exploitation projects. other minerals.