BELEM: Dozens of Indigenous activists staged a sit-in outside the COP30 summit venue in Belem, Brazil, on Friday morning, forcing delegates to enter through side entrances to continue climate negotiations. Security personnel increased checks during the peaceful protest, causing long lines of waiting delegates.
The annual UN climate conference brings together representatives from 195 countries to discuss measures to halt global temperature rise, which threatens vital ecosystems including the Amazon rainforest. The protesters demanded that the Brazilian government stop development projects in the Amazon, such as mining, logging, oil drilling, and the construction of a new railway for resource transport.
Read More: Indigenous protesters clash with security at COP30 in Brazil
“President Lula, we are here in front of COP because we want you to listen to us. We refuse to be sacrificed for agribusiness,” said a statement from the Munduruku Indigenous group leading the protest. Their territory spans nearly 24,000 square kilometers, about the size of New Hampshire, deep in the northern Amazon.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has emphasized Indigenous communities as key participants in COP30 negotiations, highlighting their crucial role in protecting the climate. The Munduruku stressed that the Amazon cannot continue to be destroyed to benefit large corporations.
Read More: Indigenous protesters clash with security at COP30 summit in Brazil