Indigenous protesters clash at COP30 venue

Dozens of Indigenous protesters and allied activists forced their way toward the COP30 venue in Belém and clashed with security at the main entrance, demanding meaningful participation, protection of territories and a halt to new oil, gas and deforestation projects. Marching in the Amazon city where the summit is being held, hundreds of demonstrators carried flags and placards reading “Our land is not for sale,” staged symbolic installations such as an oil-covered melting globe, and chanted calls to “Keep the forest standing” and “Leave oil and gas underground.”

Confrontations at the gate saw security guards push back protesters and use tables as barricades; officials reported two security staff suffered minor injuries and a guard was seen being taken away in a wheelchair. Witnesses and security personnel described objects and heavy sticks thrown from the crowd, which were later confiscated. Organisers said Indigenous peoples were protesting ongoing industrial incursions into their territories and demanding immediate protection of land rights, recognition of the Amazon as a global commons, direct climate finance for forest and riverine communities, and inclusion of Indigenous land stewardship practices in climate policy.

Protest leaders from Amazonian territories released a joint declaration titled “The Answer Is Us,” arguing that climate justice requires social and territorial justice and urging global leaders to acknowledge Indigenous stewardship as central to forest protection. Prominent Indigenous figures who traveled to attend the talks by river stressed that communities face threats from agribusiness, oil exploration, illegal mining and logging, and warned that formal pledges at the summit must translate into structural change on the ground.

Brazilian and UN security personnel moved to secure the compound, allowing delegates to exit later after temporarily sheltering inside. A UN spokesperson said protective actions followed established protocols, that the venue sustained minor damage, and that investigations by Brazilian and UN authorities are under way. The incident highlights tensions at a summit held in the Amazon, where frontline communities say negotiations must confront the immediate realities of land dispossession and extractive projects.

Brazilian officials have emphasised Indigenous participation in COP30, and many leaders arrived by boat to press for stronger safeguards and a greater say in forest governance.