“We cannot eat money, our land is not for sale”: the indigenous protest at COP30

Representatives of indigenous communities and some members of the Juntos collective are protesting against the exploitation of their lands, some of whom – yesterday – forced one of the security barriers and reached the Parque da Cidade, the main venue of the climate summit.

As videos released on social media show, the attempted break-in caused moments of clashes between protesters and security personnel. According to United Nations sources, two agents suffered minor injuries, while the activists were removed by the police.

The protesters were demanding taxation on large fortunes and an end to oil drilling in the Amazon, accusing the Brazilian government of ecological inconsistency.

The government lies when it says that the Amazon is well and that the indigenous peoples live healthy. If it were true, we wouldn’t be here protesting, said shaman and activist Nato Tupinambá.

This is the first COP in three years to be held in a country that allows public demonstrations, unlike previous editions in Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Azerbaijan, where protest was banned or strictly controlled.

But beyond the tension and the accusations, a clear message remains: behind those moments of anger there are voices that ask to be heard.

Voices of people who experience the effects of the climate crisis on their land, on their health, on their roots every day. In a summit where we talk about numbers, emissions and protocols, the gesture of the activists – right or wrong – reminds us that the climate crisis is not a conference room debate, but a living wound in the heart of the Amazon.