Belém, Brazil — Day 5 at the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP30, began with its second major protest, a scene that unfolded before many delegates had even arrived. Dozens of members of the Munduruku Indigenous community gathered at the main entrance in a sit-in, blocking entry. It created one of the most striking visuals of the summit so far: families and children seated quietly in front of a closed metal gate while heavily armed officers stood clustered on the other side.
"President Lula, we are here in front of COP because we want you to listen to us. We refuse to be sacrificed for agribusiness," the group said in a statement, according to Reuters.
COP President André Corrêa do Lago was seen speaking with the protesters.
About the authors
Ayenat Mersie
Ayenat Mersie is a Global Development Reporter for Devex. Previously, she worked as a freelance journalist for publications such as National Geographic and Foreign Policy and as an East Africa correspondent for Reuters.
Jesse Chase-Lubitz
Jesse Chase-Lubitz covers climate change and multilateral development banks for Devex. She previously worked at Nature Magazine, where she received a Pulitzer grant for an investigation into land reclamation. She has written for outlets such as Al Jazeera, Bloomberg, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, and The Japan Times, among others. Jesse holds a master’s degree in Environmental Policy and Regulation from the London School of Economics.
