Indigenous protesters clash with security at COP30 in Brazil

Tensions broke out at the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil, on Tuesday when indigenous demonstrators clashed with security personnel, leaving two guards with minor injuries. 

The protesters and their supporters broke through barriers at the main entrance of the “blue zone”, a restricted area reserved for official negotiations and high-level sessions.

Security officers blocked access using tables and chairs as a brief scuffle ensued.

Officials confirmed that “two security staff sustained minor injuries, and the venue suffered minor damage.”

They said UN and Brazilian security teams “followed established protocols to secure the venue”, noting that calm was quickly restored and negotiations resumed.

An AFP journalist reported seeing a police officer evacuated in a wheelchair, while UN officers urged attendees to leave the area as a precaution.

“The Indigenous movement wanted to present its demands inside the blue zone but were not allowed in,” said João Santiago, a professor at the Federal University of Pará.

Maria Clara, a member of Rede Sustentabilidade Bahia, said the protest was meant to draw attention to the continued marginalisation of indigenous communities and environmental destruction.

“These voices are ignored,” she said.

“They entered the COP30 venue to protest that the COP will end but the destruction continues.”

Organisers of the earlier “march for health and climate” distanced themselves from the confrontation, describing their own event as “a legitimate, peaceful, and organised expression of popular mobilisation, built through dialogue, responsibility, and collective commitment”.

The UN said the venue has been fully secured and that proceedings are continuing as planned.

Brazilian and UN authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.

Last week, Sônia Guajajara, Brazil’s minister for indigenous peoples, said COP30 was expected to be “the best COP in terms of indigenous participation.”

This report was produced with support from Sahara Group and the Kaduna state government