Several dozen Indigenous protesters clashed with security officers at COP30 in Belém, northern Brazil, on Tuesday evening after attempting to enter the conference site.
The group had just completed a climate and health march outside the venue, where they danced before trying to access the building.
They waved flags and signs with messages like "Our country is not for sale." Later, they forced their way into the building, where security guards pushed them back out. The entrances were then barricaded with tables and furniture. Calm quickly returned.
The action was intended to raise awareness of land rights, forest protection, and the role of indigenous communities in climate policy.
"We can't eat money," shouted Gilmar, a Tupinamba community leader who advocated for an Amazon free of agribusiness, oil drilling, and illegal mining.
🚨🇧🇷 WATCH: The moment protesters storm the COP30 Climate Summit venue and clash with security guards pic.twitter.com/LnEWoD5F45
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The confrontation was brief. Security staff quickly restored order and reinforced the entrances to the conference's "blue zone"(the central area managed by the United Nations) by setting up barricades with tables and furniture.
An AFP journalist on the scene reported seeing a police officer evacuated in a wheelchair following the scuffle.
"The Indigenous movement wanted to present their demands within the blue zone, but they were not allowed inside," said João Santiago, a professor at the Federal University of Pará.
Security at the COP30 venue is overseen by the UN. Later in the evening, UN police were seen asking delegates to leave the site, which consists of several large air-conditioned tents.
Maria Clara, a protester from the organisation Rede Sustentabilidade Bahia, said the action aimed to highlight the struggles of Indigenous communities. "These voices are ignored," she told AFP.
She added that the group wanted to draw attention to the continued destruction of Indigenous lands, even as global leaders discuss solutions to the climate crisis.
The United Nations has not provided details about the incident, despite being contacted by AFP for comment.
