Indigenous Voices Disrupt COP30 in Brazil for Climate Justice
12th Nov. 2025
In a powerful display of resistance, hundreds of Indigenous activists stormed the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil, demanding that world leaders take concrete steps to protect their lands and the planet. The demonstration erupted on the second day of the UN climate conference, challenging the Brazilian government’s claim that the event is inclusive of Indigenous voices.
Dozens of protesters broke through security barriers on Tuesday evening after leading a spirited march to the conference venue. According to the UN, the breach caused minor injuries to two security officers and slight damage to the site.
“We can’t eat money,” declared Gilmar, an Indigenous leader from the Tupinamba community near the Tapajós River, criticizing the summit’s focus on climate finance over Indigenous rights. “We want our lands free from agribusiness, oil exploration, illegal miners, and loggers.”
The protest came as Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva emphasized the role of Indigenous communities in shaping sustainable climate policies. During last week’s leaders’ meeting, Lula said that the world should be “inspired by Indigenous peoples and traditional communities, for whom sustainability has always been a way of life.”
Yet, Indigenous groups argue that Lula’s government has not done enough to curb environmental destruction in the Amazon. In a joint statement, Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon Basin and Biomes of Brazil urged stronger protection for their territories, calling them a crucial carbon sink that absorbs roughly 340 million tons of carbon dioxide each year.
The statement also demanded that Indigenous lands be excluded from mining, oil extraction, and industrial projects across major forest basins, including the Amazon, Congo, and Southeast Asia.
Leo Cerda, a leader of the Yaku Mama protest flotilla that sailed over 3,000 kilometers down the Amazon River to attend COP30, told Al Jazeera, “Most states want our resources, but they don’t want to guarantee our rights. We are protecting nature for everyone, not just for ourselves.”
Ironically, as protests intensified, Brazil’s state-run oil company Petrobras received approval to begin offshore drilling near the mouth of the Amazon River. Environmentalists argue that this move undermines the nation’s climate commitments.
This year’s COP30 hosts representatives from 195 nations, though the United States remains notably absent. The summit follows a landmark International Court of Justice ruling declaring that nations failing to meet climate goals could be violating international law.
Web Resources on Indigenous Activists disrupt COP30
1. Reuters.com: Protesters force their way into COP30 summit venue
2. BBC.com: Protesters break into COP30 venue in Brazil
3. Aljazeera.com: Indigenous Activists storm COP30, demanding action