Overview
- About 60 to 100 Indigenous protesters, led by the Munduruku, peacefully blocked COP30’s main entrance for roughly 30 to 90 minutes as delegates were rerouted through side gates.
- The UN climate body told attendees there was no danger, while Brazilian military personnel kept protesters from entering and metal-detector checkpoints were shifted to manage long queues.
- COP30 president André Corrêa do Lago and CEO Ana Toni engaged protesters on site, with organizers arranging ministerial participation in subsequent discussions.
- Protest leaders sought a meeting with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and pressed demands including canceling the Ferrogrão railway, revoking river commercialization plans, clarifying land demarcations, and rejecting deforestation carbon credits.
- The blockade followed an earlier incident this week in which Indigenous protesters and supporters stormed a venue entrance, and organizers expect demonstrations to grow over the weekend.