Indigenous Activists and Security Forces Clash at COP30 in Brazil
Belรฉm, Brazil โ- Clashes erupted at the COP30 climate conference in Belรฉm, Brazil, on Tuesday eveningโ asโ activists breached security and entered the conference โgrounds,โค resulting in injuries. The incident occurred as negotiations at the summit continue, โdrawing journalistsโฃ reporting from various time zones.
By late evening (local time), the situationโ had calmed, though entrances to the COP site โฃremained closed. Masked soldiers and โฃother securityโข forces were deployed in front of the gates, alongsideโฃ severalโฃ police cars wiht โขflashing lights.โ
The United Nations is โresponsible โขfor security inside the venue, while local โauthorities secure โthe perimeter. A UN spokesperson stated the venue was fully secured and negotiations were ongoing. Brazilian and โคUN authorities have launched an โexamination into how the activists gained access โขand the motivations behind their actions.
The incident raises concerns for โฃboth Brazil and theโข United Nations as ministersโข prepare to arriveโ for theโฃ final phase of negotiations. Questionsโค are โคbeingโข asked about security protocols and the underlying โfrustrations driving the activists’ actions.
Conference management announced the main entrance would be repaired and reopened at 7 a.m. (local time, 11 a.m. CET)โฃ on Wednesday.
Indigenous Leaders Demandโฃ Greater Representation
The unrest coincides with the โpresence โof thousands of indigenous activists at the conference, campaigning โagainst threats to their ancestral lands, including deforestation of the Amazon rainforest. these leaders are seekingโค a greater โvoice in forest management decisions at the summit.
A local journalist, requesting anonymity for security reasons, โขtold a dpa reporterโ that an escalation had been anticipated, โคciting a history of violence against environmentalists in Brazil. “This pain has existed for a long time,” the journalist stated.
Organizers of a prior march through โคthe city distanced themselves โfrom the subsequent violent scenes. “The actions that took place after the march were not partโค ofโค the organization of the โevent,” a representative of 350.org stated.
Brazilian President Luiz Inรกcio โคLula da Silva has acknowledged the โimportance of indigenous communities in theโ negotiations. However, prominent leader Raoni Metuktire expressed anger amongโ indigenous people regarding ongoing industrial and progress projects โin the rainforest, callingโ on the government in Brasรญlia to grant indigenous communities greater rightsโ to protect the amazon.
COP30 is scheduled to continue until November 21st,with further protests and “climate strikes” planned around the globe at the weekend.
Source: dpa/rtr/AFP/dp**
