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People’s Summit Opens in Belém as Indigenous Activists Press Demands at COP30 After Brief Breach

Grassroots gatherings spotlight Amazon stewardship with calls for inclusion in negotiations.

People riding in boats participate in a People's Summit event on Guajara Bay during the COP30 U.N. Climate Summit, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, in Belem, Brazil. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
Participants in the People's Summit event paddle on Guajara Bay during the COP30 U.N. Climate Summit, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, with the skyline of Belem, Brazil. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)
Indigenous peoples participate in the People's Summit event, on Guajara Bay during the COP30 U.N. Climate Summit, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, in Belem, Brazil. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)
Whaia, from Aotearoa, Māori for New Zealand, right, and her daughter Moana Mason, 8, cool off as they participate in the People's Summit event on Guajara Bay during the COP30 U.N. Climate Summit, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, in Belem, Brazil. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

Overview

  • Activists launched a flotilla of boats off Belém as a parallel People’s Summit convened alongside the U.N. climate talks.
  • The U.N. said protesters broke through barricades at the main venue the previous night, slightly injuring two security guards and prompting a short lockdown before reopening Wednesday morning.
  • The People’s Summit opened at the Federal University of Pará with small protests, cultural performances and speeches led by Indigenous communities from across the Amazon.
  • Participants urged nations to elevate historically marginalized communities in decision-making and to stop greenhouse gas emissions and resource extraction driving the crisis.
  • Local reports cited by activists allege forest clearing along the Augusto Montenegro Highway for summit preparations and spending on decorative trees, claims not independently verified in the coverage.