Thousands March at COP30 in Belém — Costumes, Drums and Demands for $300B Climate Finance

Costumed protesters march near COP30 in Belém, pressing leaders for action

Thousands of demonstrators filled the streets at the midpoint of the United Nations climate talks in Belém, Brazil, Saturday, using costumes, drums and large flags to draw attention to local and global climate demands. Some wore black dresses to symbolize a "funeral for fossil fuels," dozens donned red shirts to represent the blood of those defending the environment, and many chanted and carried signs as they marched roughly 2.5 miles along a route that passed near the COP30 venue.

Truck-mounted sound systems and raised platforms helped organizers coordinate a broad mix of environmental and social movements. Marisol Garcia, a Kichwa woman from Peru leading one contingent, said protesters came to pressure world leaders to make "more humanized decisions." Youth activists, Indigenous groups and traditional communities were prominently represented.

Earlier in the week demonstrators twice surrounded the meeting site, briefly disrupting talks; in one incident on Tuesday two security guards sustained minor injuries. Protesters and campaigners repeatedly called for delivery on the $300 billion-a-year climate finance pledge that wealthy nations agreed to provide poorer countries to help them transition off fossil fuels, adapt to more extreme weather and repair storm damage. The State of the Global Climate report confirmed that global temperatures, greenhouse gas emissions and sea levels all reached record highs in 2024.

"This is the biggest climate march I've ever been part of," said 27-year-old youth leader Ana Heloisa Alves. "You can't ignore all these people."

Activists defended local priorities as well: Alves and others marched to protect the Tapajós River from proposed commercial development, while members of the Interstate Movement of Coconut Breakers of Babaçu pressed for better access to babaçu palm trees on private land — resources they say are vital for livelihoods and cultural identity. Vitoria Balbina, a regional coordinator for the movement, described marching as both resistance and a defense of a way of life.

Pablo Neri, coordinator in the state of Pará for the landless workers' organization Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra, urged conference organizers to broaden participation so the talks better reflect a climate movement shifting toward wider popular involvement.

The United States did not send an official federal delegation after President Donald Trump publicly derided climate change as a "scam"; this is the second time his administration has withdrawn from the decade-old Paris Agreement. Former U.S. special envoy for climate Todd Stern criticized that stance, saying Trump's actions harm global efforts to curb warming, and adding, "It's a good thing that they are not sending anyone. It wasn't going to be constructive if they did." Two U.S. governors — California's Gavin Newsom and New Mexico's Michelle Lujan Grisham — attended to represent state-level climate efforts.

Street theater targeted U.S. policy as well: performer Flavio Pinto of Pará wore an oversized American-flag top hat and fanned fake $100 bills printed with President Trump's face while a sign read, "Imperialism produces wars and environmental crises." Along the route, shoppers and passersby paused to watch and take photos; one onlooker called the procession "beautiful."

Analysts and some participants said they do not expect major new agreements from COP30 but hope for progress on implementing earlier commitments, especially on finance to help poorer countries adapt, reduce emissions and recover from climate-driven damage. The conference is scheduled to continue through Friday.