Tens of thousands marched through Belém in COP30’s largest mobilisation, as Indigenous leaders, youth activists and global campaigners demanded an end to fossil fuels, protection of Amazon territories and greater civil-society access to negotiations, intensifying pressure on world leaders.
Thousands of protesters flooded the streets of Belém on Saturday in the largest public mobilisation of COP30, as Indigenous leaders, government ministers and global climate activists marched together demanding an end to fossil fuels and stronger protection of the Amazon.
The demonstration, organised by the People’s Summit, set off from the historic São Brás Market and moved toward Cabana Village, drawing a vast coalition of Indigenous peoples, quilombola communities, youth groups, extractive workers, environmental defenders and Brazil’s Landless Workers’ Movement (MST). Their collective demands centred on halting oil exploration in the Amazon, stopping destructive mining and safeguarding Indigenous territories.
Brazil’s Environment Minister Marina Silva and Minister of Indigenous Peoples Sônia Guajajara joined the mobilization, addressing protesters before the march began. Silva highlighted Brazil’s recent 50 percent reduction in Amazon deforestation and reiterated the country’s support for a global roadmap to phase out fossil fuels.
Guajajara, speaking from atop a sound truck, told demonstrators that “the UN’s Blue Zone is here,” echoing mounting frustration within civil society over restricted access to decision-making spaces inside the COP30 venue.
Her comments came a day after Indigenous protesters temporarily blocked the main entrance of the summit, forcing delegates to use side access points for nearly two hours. Guajajara used the moment to again insist that land demarcation and the defence of Indigenous territories must be central pillars of global climate policy.
Saturday’s march also drew international voices. George Auankaroe of the Association of Indigenous Leaders of Suriname said COP30 offered a rare chance for frontline communities to speak directly to world leaders. Argentinian activist Anabella Rosemberg, from the Climate Action Network, criticised her country’s negotiators for obstructing progress, calling Argentina “a barrier to climate justice.”
Bangladeshi youth climate advocate Sohanur Rahman, Executive Coordinator of YouthNet Global, joined the march and urged COP30 leaders to act on the demands coming from the streets. “Indigenous peoples are safeguarding the world’s remaining ecosystems, yet their rights are denied and their lands attacked,” he said. “If COP30 is truly the ‘COP of truth,’ then recognising Indigenous land rights and ending fossil fuel expansion must be non-negotiable.”
As negotiations continue inside the conference halls, Saturday’s mass mobilisation has intensified pressure on governments to reflect the demands of affected communities in the final COP30 outcome text. Whether leaders will heed the call remains uncertain but the message from Belém’s streets was unmistakably clear: defend Indigenous lands, stop fossil fuel expansion, and protect the Amazon to safeguard the planet’s future.
