Brazil Sees Massive Climate Rally at COP30 Midpoint

AFP/APP

Belen: Thousands of climate activists and Indigenous communities marched through the streets of Belém on Saturday, calling for stronger action from negotiators at the UN’s COP30 climate summit, now at its halfway mark.

Under intense Amazonian heat, demonstrators moved through the city in a vibrant, festival-like rally carrying a giant inflatable Earth, blasting music, and waving a Brazilian flag emblazoned with the message “Protected Amazon.”

Mobilised as the “Great People’s March” by organizers, it marked the largest public protest at a COP since Glasgow’s COP26, following three consecutive summits hosted in countries with tight restrictions on public demonstrations.

The rally came after two earlier Indigenous-led protests this week disrupted negotiations at the summit venue.

“We are witnessing a massacre as our forest is being destroyed,” said Benedito Huni Kuin, a member of the Huni Kuin Indigenous community from western Brazil. “We want to make our voices heard from the Amazon and demand results. We need more Indigenous representatives at COP to defend our rights.”

Tyrone Scott, an activist with the British group War on Want, described the march as “Indigenous-led, movement-led, people-powered,” adding that the energy outside offered “a refreshing antidote to the staleness” inside the negotiations.

Protesters demanded climate reparations from corporations and governments for environmental destruction, particularly in marginalized communities. Alongside climate banners, some marchers carried a giant Palestinian flag and “Free Palestine” signs, while one demonstrator dressed as Uncle Sam on stilts denounced global “imperialism.”

The 4.5-kilometer march ended a few blocks from the COP30 venue, a heavily secured zone with military deployment.

Earlier in the week, tensions escalated when Indigenous protesters forced entry into the Parque da Cidade conference compound, clashing with security personnel. On Friday, dozens blocked the entrance for nearly two hours to highlight threats facing their communities, prompting diplomatic intervention to ease the standoff.

Talks at a Critical Juncture

Inside the negotiating halls, discussions remain delicately balanced. The Brazilian COP30 presidency is expected to unveil its strategy Saturday for bridging divisions among countries over weak climate goals and expanding financial support from wealthier countries to developing nations.

Key sticking points include disputes over trade barriers like Europe’s carbon border tax, proposals for timelines to phase out fossil fuels, and demands for increased climate finance.

While some negotiators say countries are holding firm until ministers arrive next week to finalize decisions ahead of the November 21 deadline, others warn the summit risks falling short.

“If the presidency does not take the lead, this could turn out to be an empty COP,” one African negotiator cautioned.

Brazil has encouraged delegations to treat consultations as “therapy sessions” — a space to candidly express concerns — and to submit private reflections dubbed “love letters” detailing how they feel the talks are progressing.

“These negotiations are like a roller coaster,” said Brazil’s chief negotiator Liliam Chagas. “Sometimes they are up, sometimes they are down.”