Activists described climate impacts in their home countries and urged the UN to include youth in negotiations. Thousands of protesters returned to the gates of the COP30 climate conference in Belem, Brazil, forming a peaceful blockade outside the venue.
Brazilian youth groups, indigenous communities, and international activists marched together to push for stronger commitments during the critical UN meeting. Fridays for Future speakers demanded that negotiators give young people a meaningful role.
Rachelle Junsay from Climate Action Philippines said young people feel deep frustration because they will inherit the planet. She said leaders discuss vulnerable communities from comfortable rooms while excluding those most affected from real decision-making.
Demonstrations Return After Long Absence
Protesters demonstrated outside UN climate talks for the first time since 2021. Organizers promoted this year’s conference as a space that honors indigenous peoples, yet demonstrations repeatedly disrupted proceedings.
Earlier in the week, activists surrounded the venue twice, including an incident on Tuesday when two security guards sustained minor injuries. Saturday’s march aimed to stop short of the site, where delegates planned a full day of sessions.
Many protesters said Belem offered more freedom to demonstrate than recent host nations such as Azerbaijan, the UAE, and Egypt. Youth leader Ana Heloisa Alves, 27, called it the largest climate march she had ever joined. She said the huge turnout showed that officials cannot ignore public demands.
Alves marched to defend the Tapajos River, which the Brazilian government seeks to develop. Her group carried signs declaring that the river belongs to the people. Pablo Neri, a coordinator in Pará for the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra, argued that organizers must involve more communities to reflect a climate movement moving toward broader participation.
Delegates Face Low Expectations for New Commitments
The climate talks will continue through Friday, 21 November, but analysts and participants expect no major new agreements. Many still hope for progress on previous pledges, including funding to help poorer nations adapt to climate impacts.
The United States will not attend the talks. President Donald Trump has dismissed climate change as a hoax and withdrew the country from the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aimed to limit global warming.
