Protesters, security clash at COP30 in Brazil

Tensions flared late Tuesday when protesters and security guards clashed at the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil. 

The confrontation began after a group of Indigenous and non-Indigenous demonstrators stormed the conference centre, demanding greater inclusion in climate talks.

Several dozen protesters, some wearing brightly coloured feather headdresses, entered the venue by pushing through the entrance and knocking a door off its hinges before making their way through metal detectors into the Blue Zone. UN security guards tried to stop them, leading to shoving and shouting.

A non-Indigenous protester carried a banner reading “Our forests are not for sale,” while others wore shirts with “Juntos” (“Together”). They chanted and waved banners before being forcibly removed. 

According to a UN climate spokesperson, two security guards sustained minor injuries and there was limited damage to the venue.

After the confrontation, firefighters formed a cordon outside to block further entry. The identity of the organisers remains unclear. 

“At last, something has happened here,” said Juan Carlos Monterrey-Gómez, a Panamanian climate negotiator observing the scene.

Agustin Ocaña of the Global Youth Coalition told the Associated Press that some protesters shouted, “They cannot decide for us without us,” expressing anger over Indigenous exclusion from decision-making. 

He described seeing protesters and security personnel striking each other with small plastic bins. “They were not doing this because they were bad people. They’re desperate, trying to protect their land, the [Amazon] river,” he said.

The UN said both Brazilian and UN security teams “took protective actions to secure the venue, following all established protocols,” adding that “COP negotiations continue.”

This year’s summit, unlike recent ones held in more restrictive countries, has encouraged open participation from civil society. Indigenous groups and NGOs have been active inside and outside the venue, preparing for larger demonstrations, including a “people’s summit” and a global youth rally later in the week.

So far, most protests at COP30 had been peaceful from feminist and pro-Palestine collectives to environmental health advocates until Tuesday’s clash between protesters and security at the climate talks in Belém.

(The Guardian UK)

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