PACIFIC delegates and participants are reportedly unharmed by the unrest, which erupted at COP30 today.
Security has been heightened after an indigenous protest flared into violence.
While negotiations inside the Blue Zone are intensified, a different kind of intensity erupted just outside the venue.
An Indigenous activist protest that began peacefully quickly escalated into chaos when demonstrators attempted to force their way into the venue, demanding to be heard. What started as chants and banners ended with protesters stormed toward the meeting rooms where climate negotiations were underway.
Security personnel moved swiftly to block entry, triggering a clash that left several guards injured and caused minor damage to the venue. Brazil’s military and UN security rapidly reinforced the area, subduing the situation before protesters could advance beyond the main entrance.
Tables and chairs were reportedly used to barricade doors as tensions flared.
Sources at the scene say the anger stemmed from members of the Indigenous movement who wanted to deliver their demands directly inside the restricted Blue Zone but were denied access.
One protester told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that “they entered the COP30 venue to protest the fact that the COP will end but the destruction continues.”
According to Reuters, an Indigenous leader from the Tupinambá community voiced his frustration, saying, “We can’t eat money. We want our lands free from agribusiness, oil exploration, illegal miners, and illegal loggers.”
According to AFP, a UN spokesperson confirmed that “Brazilian and UN security personnel took protective actions to secure the venue, following all established protocols.”
UN representatives have since assured media that the situation has been contained and that the COP30 program will continue as scheduled tomorrow.