Thousands of Brazilians in Belem city descended into the streets yesterday as part of a massive protest, known as the "Great People's March", against climate injustice and government inaction. The demonstration took place just hours before the COP30 talks began in earnest, marking the first major rally outside the annual summit since 2019.
The protest drew tens of thousands of participants who danced to loud speakers, chanting slogans and singing songs about environmental justice. Many wore black to symbolize their mourning for the planet's dwindling resources, such as coal, oil, and gas. One giant beach ball depicting the Earth was rolled through the streets by activists as part of a bold performance.
The rally came on the heels of two Indigenous-led protests that disrupted COP26 negotiations four years ago in Glasgow. The events drew international attention to the struggles faced by Indigenous communities fighting against deforestation and climate change in Brazil's Amazon rainforest.
"We are witnessing a massacre as our forest is being destroyed," said Benedito Huni Kuin, a member of the Huni Kuin Indigenous group from western Brazil. "We want to make our voices heard from the Amazon and demand results. We need more Indigenous representatives at COP to defend our rights."
The protesters demanded reparations for damages caused by corporations and governments, particularly to marginalized communities. As negotiations continued inside, it remained unclear whether the demands would be met.
"It's a deadlock situation," said COP30 President Andre Correa do Lago, as the first week of talks ended without any breakthroughs. The president warned diplomats against using procedural tactics to delay progress, saying that time was running out for countries to reach an agreement.
With tensions rising over trade measures and climate targets, many are now waiting anxiously to see if wealthy nations will meet their commitments to providing financial support to poorer states to adapt to the impacts of climate change.
The protest drew tens of thousands of participants who danced to loud speakers, chanting slogans and singing songs about environmental justice. Many wore black to symbolize their mourning for the planet's dwindling resources, such as coal, oil, and gas. One giant beach ball depicting the Earth was rolled through the streets by activists as part of a bold performance.
The rally came on the heels of two Indigenous-led protests that disrupted COP26 negotiations four years ago in Glasgow. The events drew international attention to the struggles faced by Indigenous communities fighting against deforestation and climate change in Brazil's Amazon rainforest.
"We are witnessing a massacre as our forest is being destroyed," said Benedito Huni Kuin, a member of the Huni Kuin Indigenous group from western Brazil. "We want to make our voices heard from the Amazon and demand results. We need more Indigenous representatives at COP to defend our rights."
The protesters demanded reparations for damages caused by corporations and governments, particularly to marginalized communities. As negotiations continued inside, it remained unclear whether the demands would be met.
"It's a deadlock situation," said COP30 President Andre Correa do Lago, as the first week of talks ended without any breakthroughs. The president warned diplomats against using procedural tactics to delay progress, saying that time was running out for countries to reach an agreement.
With tensions rising over trade measures and climate targets, many are now waiting anxiously to see if wealthy nations will meet their commitments to providing financial support to poorer states to adapt to the impacts of climate change.
! I mean, 100s of thousands of people taking a stand against climate injustice is no joke 
. It's great that they're making their voices heard, but at the same time, I'm also worried about the chaos and disruption that could cause 
. The fact that it's happening just hours before COP30 talks even starts feels like a bit of a PR stunt 
.
. It's not about being 'anti-progress' or anything; it's about making sure our planet is sustainable for everyone 
. We'll see what happens now that COP30 talks are underway... fingers crossed they can make some real progress 
. Indigenous communities are at the forefront of this fight and it's time for governments to listen and take action 
. Wearing black to mourn the planet's resources is a poignant symbol of the urgency we're facing 
. It's disheartening that COP30 negotiations have ended without breakthroughs, but I'm hopeful that the momentum from these protests will carry over into future talks 
. The question on everyone's mind now is: what's the timeline for real change and who will hold those in power accountable? 
they're not afraid to speak out against climate injustice & government inaction! 
i can imagine the energy & passion of the crowd, it's amazing to see so many people coming together for a cause 
we need more events like this, it's definitely giving me ideas for my next DIY project 
. It's heartbreaking to see people taking to the streets, mourning for the future of our resources 
. The fact that Indigenous communities are fighting tooth and nail against deforestation and climate change in the Amazon rainforest is just devastating 
.
. And let's not forget, the future of our planet is in our hands 
. We gotta do better, we gotta act now 
Like, isn't it weird that we're only just now realizing how bad our planet is in trouble? I mean, remember when Obama was president and he said we needed to "save the planet"? It seems like that's not really happening. Anyway, these Brazilian protests look intense... all those people dancing and singing together 
They're fighting for their rights and stuff, which is pretty cool, I guess? But what's up with COP30 being here? Wasn't that supposed to be a big deal back in 2019? It feels like we've been hearing about climate change forever.
how can one person's actions affect an entire ecosystem? i mean, deforestation and climate change are like, super complex issues... but at the same time, we gotta acknowledge that the Amazon rainforest is literally a global treasure 
does that really fix the problem?
like, what's going on with all these trade measures and climate targets? is anyone actually listening to each other? 
I'm loving this vibe of people coming together to fight for the planet's future 
. Those Indigenous leaders speaking up about deforestation and climate change are not being heard enough 
. The fact that people are wearing black to symbolize mourning is like, super powerful 
. It's time for some accountability 
. Fingers crossed that the demands will be met and we can make progress on climate change 
I'm thinkin' maybe we should dig a little deeper into this whole thing...
the fact that indigenous communities are fighting against deforestation in the Amazon and being silenced is a major concern 
. It shows that even in the face of massive injustice, people can still find ways to express themselves creatively and bring attention to their cause 
And what's with the vague demands for reparations? Who's paying, exactly? 
WE NEED TO SEE REAL ACTION FROM COP30, NOT JUST TALKS AND PROTOCOLS!!!! 
IT'S TIME FOR REPARATIONS AND INDIGENOUS RIGHTS TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY!!!! 
THE WORLD IS WATCHING, LET'S MAKE SURE THEY KNOW WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS!!! 
. Those Indigenous communities have been fighting for years to protect their forests, and it's heartbreaking to see them being ignored 
. I mean, we're talking about the future of our planet here – can't they agree on something? 
It's not like it's going to be easy to fix climate change, but we gotta try, right? 
and loud speakers blasting out protest anthems is just so inspiring! But at the same time, I'm getting really frustrated with the lack of progress... I mean, 4 years ago COP26 was all about disruption in Glasgow, now it's like they're taking a step back 
it's like they're trying to wake us up from this climate coma 
benedito huni kuin's message hit hard, its time 4 us 2 take action & demand more from our leaders 
. I mean, what even is a "Great People's March" if not just another way of saying we're all just winging it 
.