Indigenous Activists Storm COP30 Compound in Belém, Clash with Security

The secured compound of COP30 in Belém was breached by dozens of Indigenous activists who clashed with security before tensions eased later that evening.

Thousands of Indigenous delegates at the summit are protesting rainforest deforestation and threats to ancestral lands; footage shows chanting crowds inside the conference centre while UN police and Brazilian forces secured the venue.

Unlike the previous three COPs held in more restrictive countries, protests are permitted in the host city, and more demonstrations and global climate strikes are planned.

The secured compound of COP30 in Belém was breached by dozens of Indigenous activists who clashed with security before tensions eased later that evening.

Unlike the previous three COPs held in more restrictive countries, protests are permitted in the host city, and more demonstrations and global climate strikes are planned.

11:04 AM, 11/12/2025Environment

Indigenous Activists Storm COP30 Compound in Belém, Clash with Security

Indigenous activists breach secured COP30 compound in Belém

Dozens of Indigenous protesters forced their way into the secured compound hosting the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, media outlets reported. Video shared by South American broadcasters showed demonstrators breaking down a door and engaging in scuffles with security personnel on Tuesday evening.

Thousands of Indigenous delegates are attending COP30 to denounce the destruction of their ancestral territories and ongoing deforestation of the Amazon rainforest. BBC reporters described seeing UN security personnel running behind a line of Brazilian soldiers while urging some delegates to leave the area.

Footage posted on social media by an activist captured a large crowd of Indigenous protesters waving flags and chanting as they moved through corridors inside the conference centre. By late evening tensions had eased: access points to the venue were closed and placed under heavy guard by security forces. Inside the conference perimeter, UN police are responsible for security, while Brazilian authorities have provided additional forces around the site.

This COP is being held, for the first time in several years, in a democratic country. The three previous summits took place in Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt — countries described by some observers as having restrictive protest environments — where organizers largely confined demonstrations to sealed COP grounds. In contrast, Brazil permits public protests in the city, and further demonstrations are planned mid-conference, alongside coordinated climate strikes around the world.

Context: The unrest highlights long-running Indigenous concerns about land rights and environmental destruction at a summit intended to address global climate policy.

Indigenous activists breach secured COP30 compound in Belém

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