Protesters break through blockade and occupy COP30 Blue Zone; confrontation reported

By Ana Cláudia Leocádio, Bianca Diniz, Fred Santana and Jadson Lima – From Cenarium

BELÉM (PA) and MANAUS (AM) – A group of protesters attending the 30th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP30) broke through a security barrier and occupied, on the evening of Tuesday, the 11th, part of the Hangar Convention Center of the Amazon, in Belém (PA), where discussions involving heads of state and international delegations about the planet’s future are taking place. Footage recorded by CENARIUM TV shows the moment when dozens of people approached the venue before crossing the security fence.

During the occupation of the COP30 Blue Zone, an area restricted to accredited participants, protesters clashed with security personnel who tried to disperse the group. Representatives from various collectives participated in the act, organized to stage a visual intervention in front of the event’s main pavilion. See footage by CENARIUM NETWORK journalists Ana Cláudia Leocádio, Bianca Diniz, and Fred Santana.

CENARIUM found that the group was composed of residents of Baixo Tapajós, the Movimento Juntos, the Eco-socialist Youth, and other organizations related to environmental and social causes. The mobilization sought to draw attention to issues such as oil exploration in Amazonas, the Temporal Framework, and concerns related to environmental devastation.

Ronaldo Barbosa, a lawyer from Ribeirão Preto, in the countryside of São Paulo, took part in the occupation. According to the activist, the initiative aimed to present, during COP30, the agenda advocated by socio-environmental movements and to expose to the world leaders attending the conference the concerns related to environmental and economic impacts in the Amazon.

“Here we have people from Baixo Tapajós, also the Movimento Juntos and the Eco-socialist Youth Movement. We understand that this is the moment to stage the intervention in front of the COP venue and to denounce the recently approved oil exploration in the Amazon River Mouth, among so many other recurring contradictions, such as the issue of the Temporal Framework and the lack of vetoes in the so-called ‘Devastation Bill,’” said the lawyer to CENARIUM.

CENARIUM records violence and intimidation attempts

The protest ended with reports of violence against journalists covering the demonstration. CENARIUM professionals reported being targeted with hostility during coverage, including intimidation attempts by internal security and damage to work equipment. The turmoil began when protesters broke through the isolation barrier and occupied the area designated for official delegations, prompting an immediate reaction from the event’s security teams.

CENARIUM multimedia editor Bianca Diniz stated that a United Nations (UN) security officer struck the device she was using to record an episode of the Blue Zone occupation. In a video, she described what happened during the second day of the Climate Conference in Belém (PA).

Journalist Fred Santana reported that the UN security personnel on site were not using radios, meaning there was no communication among them. “That probably contributed to the situation we just witnessed,” he said. “The response from security was even more aggressive. There were threats of violence.” Watch the videos:

During the occupation, journalist Ana Cláudia Leocádio, who is in Belém covering COP30, spoke with UN agents at the scene. When the protesters entered the COP30 Blue Zone, security guards sealed off the area, preventing accredited participants from leaving.

“The protesters are trying to enter, and the agents are using tables that were here to block their way. Some guards have already been injured,” she narrated live during the occupation. The video then shows part of the venue’s structure being damaged amid the turmoil. Watch the footage:

Organizations deny involvement in occupation

The occupation of the COP30 Blue Zone occurred after a demonstration organized by groups participating in the Global March for Health and Climate. In a press statement, the organizations denied any connection to the incident at the venue entrance and clarified that the confusion occurred after the march had officially ended.

“The act was peaceful, public, and previously communicated to the competent authorities. The mobilization gathered health professionals, Indigenous leaders, and civil society organizations in defense of life, the Amazon, and climate justice,” says an excerpt from the statement. “The group that went to the Blue Zone after the end of the march was not part of the organization or official coordination of the act and participated independently,” the note concludes.

Apib issues statement

The Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (Apib) reported that it became aware of the demonstration held on Tuesday, the 11th, by social movements with the participation of some Indigenous peoples. The entity emphasized that the Indigenous movement is broad and diverse and stated that it did not coordinate the activities of the protest. Apib reaffirmed its respect for the right to demonstrate and for each people’s autonomy in their forms of organization and political expression.

The statement noted that more than three thousand Indigenous people, both Brazilian and foreign, are in Belém to follow COP30. Apib explained that Indigenous peoples do not take part in the official negotiations of the event but have been politically active for more than two years to include their demands in decisions concerning the climate crisis.

The organization reiterated that the Indigenous movement is diverse and values the autonomy of peoples to demonstrate democratically. Apib affirmed that Indigenous participants are fully aware of their purpose and the space they occupy at the conference and declared that they are in Belém to secure commitments and reaffirm their role in the solutions to the climate crisis.

Translated from Portuguese by Gustô Alves