belem, brazil
AP
—
About 100 indigenous protesters blocked the main entrance to the United Nations Climate Change Conference on the edge of Brazil’s Amazon River for 90 minutes on Friday, leading to a peaceful standoff that ended after a lengthy discussion with the president of the climate change council, who cradled a demonstrator’s baby during the meeting.
Brazilian military personnel blocked demonstrators from entering the COP30 conference venue in Belem, but there appeared to be no physical altercations. As the day’s rally began, protesters, most dressed in traditional indigenous costumes, formed a human chain around the entrance to prevent people from entering. Other activist groups also formed secondary chains around them.
“No one may come in, no one may come out” was one of the main chants of the demonstration.
It was the second time in four days that protesters have disrupted climate change talks that organizers have promoted as empowering and celebrating indigenous peoples.
Members of the Munduruku indigenous group led the demonstration, demanding a meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and blocked the main entrance.
“President Lula, we are coming before the COP because we want you to listen to us. We refuse to be sacrificed to agribusiness,” the demonstrators said in a written statement in Portuguese released by the Munduruku Ipereg Ayu movement. “Our forests are not for sale. We are the protectors of the climate and we cannot continue to destroy the Amazon to enrich big business.”
Munduruku leaders made a series of demands against Brazil. These include scrapping plans for commercial development of the river, canceling a grain rail project that raised concerns about deforestation, and clarifying the boundaries of indigenous territory. They also want to deny carbon credits from deforestation.
During the 90-minute lockdown, conference participants were rerouted and participants entered the venue through a different door. As hundreds of people formed a long line, UN officials quickly moved metal detectors to the entrance. The protest in front of the venue began around 7:30 a.m., and the main entrance was blocked about 30 minutes later.
Congress president Andre Correa do Lago, a veteran Brazilian diplomat, met with the group who blocked the entrance. He held a protester’s baby in his arms as he spoke, smiling and nodding. After a long discussion, de Lago and the protesters left together through the entrance. Entrance opened at 9:37am
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change told conference participants there was “no danger” from what it called peaceful demonstrations.
Paolo Destillo of the environmental group Debt for Climate joined the human chain surrounding the protesters, saying he wanted to give indigenous communities a chance to make their voices heard.
“This is worth delaying the conference,” he said, adding: “If this is truly an indigenous COP, as officials have repeatedly said, this type of demonstration should be welcomed at COP30.”
Harjeet Singh, a veteran anti-fossil fuel activist, said: “We should take this as a message, a signal from indigenous peoples that no progress has been made in the last 33 years of the COP. All these conversations are not translating into action.” “They are the custodians of biodiversity and climate, and clearly they are not happy with the way this process is going.”
“We share the frustration that the negotiations have not yielded results,” Singh said. “And the only way to address these common grievances is to actually tackle the climate crisis.”
The demonstration followed an incident on Tuesday night in which indigenous demonstrators stormed the entrance to the main venue and clashed with security guards, leaving two security guards with minor injuries.
Demonstrations appear to be intensifying heading into the weekend. Saturday, at the end of the first week of meetings, is traditionally the day of the largest protests during UN climate talks.
