Indigenous Protesters Storm COP30, Clash With UN Security Staff

JAKARTA - Dozens of indigenous protesters armed with sticks breached the security perimeter and briefly stormed the venue of the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belem, Brazil, leading to clashes with UN security personnel.

Tensions erupted on Tuesday night (November 11) as international delegates attempted to leave Parque da Cicade.

The protesters' main demands centered on land rights, economic justice, and opposition to fossil fuel expansion.

They carried flags and posters bearing slogans such as "Our land is not for sale" and "We cannot eat money... We want our land free from agribusiness, oil exploration, illegal miners, and illegal loggers."

The group also shouted demands to "tax the billionaires" for their war on heat that exacerbates the climate crisis.

As reported by ANTARA from Anadolu Agency on Wednesday, November 12, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was also the target of chants related to oil exploration in the Amazon River estuary.

"Shame on you, Lula's government, you're destroying the climate with this drilling." The UN security team eventually cleared the protesters from the area, but not before a small clash broke out near the entrance, which security officers quickly barricaded with tables.

Local media reported two security officers were injured in the clash.

One officer suffered a forehead injury after being hit with a drum or drumstick, and another was reportedly hit in the head. Security officers confiscated several sticks carried by the protesters.

Few regions have experienced the health impacts of climate change as severely as the Amazon, where Belém is located. In 2024, the region was hit by an extreme drought, exacerbated by several fires.