Activists described climate change impacts in their countries and called for youth representation in UN negotiations.
Thousands of protesters marched to the gates of COP30 in Belem, Brazil, peacefully blocking access to the conference. Brazilian youth groups, Indigenous communities, and international activists participated to demand urgent climate action.
Rachelle Junsay from Climate Action Philippines said youth inherit the planet, and exclusion from negotiations frustrates them. She added that real victims remain absent while decision-makers discuss policies in air-conditioned rooms.
Demonstrations Resume After Three Years
Protesters demonstrated outside UN climate talks for the first time since 2021. Organizers promoted the conference as empowering and celebrating Indigenous peoples.
Earlier in the week, demonstrators disrupted talks twice, including an incident that left two security guards with minor injuries. Saturday’s march stopped short of the venue while full-day sessions continued inside.
Participants appreciated the opportunity to protest openly in Belem, contrasting with recent climate summits in Azerbaijan, the UAE, and Egypt. Youth leader Ana Heloisa Alves called it the largest march she had ever joined.
Alves carried signs defending the Tapajos River, which the Brazilian government plans to develop commercially, declaring that the river belongs to the people.
Calls for Broader Participation and Global Action
Pablo Neri, coordinator for Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra in Pará, urged organizers to involve more people in the talks to reflect a shifting, popular climate movement.
The climate conference continues through Friday, 21 November. Analysts and participants do not expect major agreements but hope to advance prior commitments, including funding to help poor countries adapt.
The United States skipped the summit. President Donald Trump ridiculed climate change as a scam and withdrew the nation from the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aimed to limit global warming.
