Thousands of climate activists have flooded the streets of Belém, Brazil, in a powerful demonstration demanding immediate action on the climate crisis during the crucial COP30 summit.
The First Major Climate Protest in Four Years
This marks the first significant protest outside annual climate negotiations since COP26 in Glasgow four years ago. The previous three gatherings in Egypt, Dubai and Azerbaijan had limited tolerance for demonstrations, making this Brazilian event particularly significant for the global climate movement.
Dubbed the "Great People's March," the protest occurred at the halfway point of contentious negotiations and followed two Indigenous-led demonstrations earlier in the week.
Indigenous Voices Lead the Charge
Beneath a massive inflatable globe, indigenous protesters gathered with face paint and traditional feathered headdresses, chanting as they prepared for the march. Among them was Raquel Wapichana, who travelled nine hours from Roraima to participate.
Carrying a sign reading "Let's struggle," Wapichana declared: "I am here for my people, my land, our rivers and our ancestors. We are constantly threatened by mining, by agribusiness and by land invasions. We must fight for our survival."
Funeral for Fossil Fuels
The protest's most dramatic section featured a symbolic "funeral for fossil fuels." A dozen mourners dressed in black gathered beneath two large ghoul puppets and three enormous coffins marked "coal," "oil" and "gas."
Krishna, an actor from Belém who resembled a Victorian horror figure in her black lace veil and umbrella, explained: "Our lives depend on getting rid of fossil fuels. Our children and our future depend on our struggle. Through my art, I am here to fight."
Anti-capitalist messaging was prominent throughout the march, with one large banner declaring: "The environmental collapse is capitalist: Lula, the energy transition with Amazon oil is a farce."
Maria Melia of the Quilombola Movement of Maranhão joined the protest to fight for the Amazon and against a "hydrovia" water transport project cutting through her community's territory.
The demonstration also showed strong support for Palestine, with numerous flags and chants visible among the crowds. Brazilian music filled the air, particularly the popular track "Anunçiação" by Alçeu Valença, as the march continued for several hours through Belém's streets.
