We want a seat at the high table, say Indigenous people as they block COP30 summit

Negotiations at COP30 were thrown into disarray early Friday morning after protesters from the Brazilian Amazon blocked the main entrance, disrupting entry and causing scheduling chaos in discussion rooms and pavilions.

Police and the military moved in quickly, forming a ring around the venue as delegates hovered helplessly on the pavements. Inside the chaos, Indigenous leaders seized the moment and held an impromptu meeting with COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago.

They protested that the COP process loves to parade its “inclusivity” yet keeps shutting out the very people living on the frontline and demanded a formal seat at the negotiating table. They also said the Brazilian government should stop greenlighting oil drilling, mining, and logging projects that are ripping through the Amazon.

Local voices say many tribes feel pushed to the margins, and this protest is the only way left to force the Lula administration and the world to listen. During the standoff, the communities delivered their demands directly to the COP30 President and warned that they won’t stand by while corporations carve up their territories.

It’s the second eruption of anger this week. On Tuesday, several groups stormed the venue and clashed with security. The UNFCCC is now fretting about security lapses, and while the COP30 hosts insist everything is under control, the scenes outside tell a very different story.