Massive Climate Protest Outside COP30 Summit Demands Urgent Action

Sun Nov 16 2025 21:43:39 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Thousands gather in Belém for a vibrant protest, demanding immediate action on climate change and the end of fossil fuel dependency as negotiations unfold at the COP30 summit.

In Belém, Brazil, thousands of climate activists took to the streets in a spirited protest coinciding with the COP30 climate summit. Demonstrators called for urgent action against fossil fuels, highlighting indigenous rights and climate justice as key issues. The march marks the first public demonstration outside UN climate talks since 2021, signaling a growing call for accountability and decisive action.

Marching to the beat of pounding sound systems, thousands of climate protesters have been bringing their message to the gates of the COP30 climate talks in Brazil.

Chanting and singing free the Amazon, demonstrators in host city Belém have been carrying three giant coffins reading Oil, Coal and Gas flanked by two grim reapers.

Indigenous groups displayed signs reading the answer is us as an inflatable elephant and anaconda weaved through the crowd under the hot sun.

This is the first time since 2021 that protesters have been allowed to demonstrate outside the UN climate talks. The last three summits occurred in countries restrictive of public protest.

We are holding a funeral for fossil fuels, Tuga Cíntia told the BBC. She is from the theatre group Hydra Dance from the Federal University of Pará. I'm here because enough is enough with COP meetings and theory. It's time for us to actually act, she added.

Indigenous communities, Brazilian youth groups, and activists from around the world joined the march, demanding urgent action against fossil fuels and recognition of indigenous rights.

As the midday sun intensified, some sought shelter in a petrol station forecourt. Climate activist Brianna Fruean from Samoa expressed the urgency of the situation, stating, We are here after so many COPS, marching for justice, for the end of fossil fuels.

Signs calling for demarcation now highlighted the demand for indigenous groups to gain legal ownership of their territories as hundreds of indigenous communities in the Amazon are seen as the best protectors of biodiversity.

Protests also took place in other countries, including the UK. Security was tight at the COP30 venue, with police guarding the entrance, especially after previous confrontations.

Negotiations among nearly 200 countries at COP30 were ongoing, but little progress had been reported during the first week, despite calls for stronger commitments to move away from fossil fuels. Brazilian President Luis Ignacio Lula da Silva hosted the talks while facing criticism for permitting oil exploration at the Amazon mouth just before the summit.

By the end of the week, reports suggested a record number of delegates from fossil fuel companies were present, raising concerns within the activist community about the influence of corporate interests at the talks.

With ongoing discussions about climate change and strategies for accountability, the situation remains tense as activists push for resolutions that prioritize climate justice and effective action against global warming.