Indigenous protesters storm COP30 in Brazil over Amazon deforestation
Climate change talks at COP30 in Belém were shut down Tuesday evening after angry Indigenous protesters stormed the venue, slamming the Brazilian government for hosting a ‘green’ summit.
Climate change talks at COP30 in Belém were shut down Tuesday evening after angry Indigenous protesters stormed the venue, slamming the Brazilian government for hosting a ‘green’ summit while simultaneously bulldozing 13 kilometers of Amazon rainforest for event infrastructure.
The demonstration followed local reports confirming that more than 13 kilometres of trees were cleared along the Augusto Montenegro Highway as part of COP30 preparations.
Simultaneously, the local government spent nearly $5 million planting fake trees around the host city.
Activists are outraged, stating that these developments contradict Brazil’s stated climate commitments.
Protesters tore down barricades and surged past security checkpoints, some carrying banners that read, “Our forest, our lives” and “No greenwashing on stolen land.”
The incident forced a brief lockdown of the venue. Organizers later confirmed no one was injured and security staff had repaired the entrance in time for the summit to resume at 7 a.m. local time Wednesday.
The Indigenous delegation issued a list of demands, including halting deforestation for summit-related construction, recognizing land rights for Indigenous communities and ensuring meaningful participation in all COP30 negotiations.
The protesters accuse the Brazilian government of using COP30 to project an environmentally friendly image abroad while continuing extractive and expansionist projects at home.
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