Protesters armed with sticks with others wielding signs proclaiming “our forests are not for sale” stormed through security lines at the COP30 climate talks in Belém, Brazil, on Tuesday night, causing chaos and disruption.
BBC journalists reported how they witnessed United Nations security personnel chasing after a line of Brazilian soldiers, shouting at delegates to evacuate the venue immediately.
The UN confirmed to BBC News that two security staff suffered minor injuries during the incident, and the venue sustained limited damage.
Videos circulating on social media showed protesters, seemingly from indigenous groups and others, waving flags bearing the logo of Juntos, a left-wing Brazilian youth movement.
Protesters storm entrance, clash with security
Demonstrators, some donning what appeared to be traditional indigenous attire, forced their way through the COP30 entrance, chanting and kicking down doors before engaging in scuffles with security personnel, according to videos posted online.
The UN told the BBC that protesters breached the first security barriers of the venue but were prevented from advancing further.
A security guard claimed he was struck in the head by a drum hurled by a protester, Reuters news agency reported.
Unusual security breach at high-profile conference
Such a security breach is highly unusual at a conference known for its stringent protocols.
The UN stated that Brazilian and UN authorities are investigating the incident.
The COP30 talks, which officially run from Monday 10 November to Friday 21 November, have attracted delegates from nearly 200 countries.
This year’s gathering marks the tenth anniversary of the Paris climate agreement, in which nations pledged to strive to limit the increase in global temperatures to 1.5C.
Brazil hosts COP for the first time
COP30 is being held in Brazil for the first time, with the talks taking place in Belém, on the fringes of the Amazon rainforest.
The choice of location has sparked controversy for several reasons, partly due to the Amazon’s residents, many of whom are vocal critics of their government.
An indigenous leader from the Tupinamba community said, “we can’t eat money,” expressing their frustration over development in the rainforest, reported the BBC.
“We want our lands free from agribusiness, oil exploration, illegal miners and illegal loggers,” he said.
COP30 dubbed “the Indigenous peoples COP”
This year’s meetings have been dubbed “the Indigenous peoples COP,” with Brazilian organisers vowing to put indigenous people at the heart of the talks.
Brazil’s Minister of Indigenous Peoples Sonia Guajajara hailed COP30 as a “historic” event, estimating that 3,000 Indigenous peoples from around the world would be in attendance.
A UN report released earlier this year revealed that Indigenous people safeguard 80% of the planet’s remaining biodiversity, yet receive less than one per cent of international climate funding.
Brazilian President calls for defeat of climate denialism
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in his opening speech at the summit, urged the world to “defeat” what he calls “climate denialism and combat fake news.”
He explained that the decision to hold COP30 in Belém was intended to demonstrate that the Amazon is a crucial part of the climate solution, adding that “COP30 will be the COP of truth” in an era of “misrepresentation” and “rejection of scientific evidence”.
According to the president, the “most diverse biome on Earth” is home to nearly 50 million people, including 400 Indigenous groups.