Indigenous demonstrators tried to force their way in to make their demands heard

Clashes occurred on Tuesday evening between indigenous Brazilian activists and security agents at the UN climate conference in Belém.

Hallways COP30 in Belém (Brazil) suddenly lost its usual calm. Several dozen indigenous demonstrators forced their way into the location on Tuesday evening, November 11, before being pushed back by security officers. The protesters caused “minor injuries to two security officers and minor damage to the location,” a UN Climate Change spokesperson told AFP.

Indigenous people and their supporters completed a climate and health march and danced at the entrance to COP30, in this city in the Brazilian Amazon. They then entered the building, passing through a security gate, before security officers physically detained them, which some protesters resisted. Franceinfo’s special correspondent observed this “several ambulances and a line of soldiers” access blocked.

Calm back quickly. Security then barricaded the entrance to “blue zone”, the heart of a climate conference under UN control, with tables and furniture. An AFP journalist saw a police officer being evacuated using a wheelchair. “The indigenous people’s movement wants to convey their demands inside the blue zone, but they are not allowed to enter,” testimony of Joao Santiago, professor at the Federal University of Para.

Security is the responsibility of the UN in the COP30 area. In the afternoon, UN police officers asked those still present at the COP to evacuate the vast site, which consisted of giant air-conditioned tents. Maria Clara, a protester from Bahia’s Rede sustentabilidade association, told AFP that the protesters had participated in previous demonstrations, and wanted to raise awareness about the situation. “indigenous people”.

“These voices are ignored”said the young woman. “By arriving here, they entered the COP30 space to lay claim to the fact that the COP is ending, but the destruction continues.”

The organizers of the demonstration in question, the Health and Climate March, have distanced themselves from the incident. “The march, which ended in front of the COP30 site, was a legitimate, peaceful and organized expression of popular mobilization, built through dialogue, responsibility and collective commitment”they said in a press release.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for UN Climate Change stated this “Brazilian and UN security personnel took protective measures to secure the site, following all established security protocols.” He announced an investigation by the UN and Brazilian authorities. “The site is completely secure, and COP negotiations continue.”

These clashes and demonstrators’ dissatisfaction contrast with Brazil’s desire to hold this conference “The best COP in terms of indigenous community participation”said the Minister of Indigenous Peoples, Sonia Guajajara, in an interview with AFP last week.