By Mitch Teofilo
Tebtebba delegate to COP30
Belém, Brazil — November 12, 2025 – As global leaders gathered in Belém for COP30, a powerful action erupted outside the summit venue last night, 11 November 2025, demanding climate justice, land rights, and genuine inclusion in decision-making. The action- marked by chants, banners, and a breach of the venue perimeter- was not only led by Indigenous activists but also supported by a wide coalition of Brazilian grassroots movements, environmental defenders, and civil society organizations. Together, they sent a clear message: climate policy must be rooted in justice, not exclusion.
One of the most resonant slogans of the action- “We can’t eat money”-was echoed by Gilmar Terena, a prominent Indigenous leader, who told Reuters, “We are here to say that our land is not for sale. We are not here to be decorative. We are here to be heard.”
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had previously stated that COP30 should be “inspired by Indigenous Peoples.” But many Indigenous leaders felt sidelined. As reported by Mongabay, protesters criticized the summit’s lack of enforceable protections for Indigenous territories and the continued expansion of extractive industries in the Amazon.
According to The Guardian, dozens of people forced their way into the COP30 venue, clashing with security and demanding direct representation in climate negotiations.
The Indigenous Peoples Caucus at COP30 (IPFCC) supports the demands of the Indigenous protesters and will issue a support letter, affirming that their actions reflect the urgency of the climate crisis and the systemic injustices faced by Indigenous communities worldwide.
The Caucus emphasized the depth of the protesters’ grievances: “We have to understand their frustration. Many of the Indigenous Peoples who joined have either had lands taken from them, lands mined, oil and critical minerals extracted from their territories.”
Many members of the IP Caucus endorse their support and solidarity highlighting that the caucus should reflect the demands of the peoples into the climate negotiations with the parties.
[Addendum] The Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), the coordinating body of Indigenous Peoples Organizations in Brazil, has since released a public statement, together with its regional organizations, saying that while it ‘reiterates the respect for the rights to protest and for the autonomy of each people in their own forms of organization and political expression’, the action was not coordinated with APIB. Further, ‘APIB upholds the autonomy of all peoples to express themselves freely and democratically, without any form of paternalism - the kind that the State imposed on us for many years’.
Although approximately 3,000 Indigenous participants were present in Belém, the IP caucus reported that only around 14% had accredited badges granting access to the Blue Zone- the area where official climate negotiations take place. This exclusion underscores a central demand: Indigenous Peoples are here, yet their voices are not being raised or heard in the spaces where decisions about their lands and futures are made.
Beyond exclusion, Indigenous communities in Brazil and across the Amazon face escalating threats. As highlighted by Agência Brasil, Indigenous leaders report increasing criminalization, intimidation, and even murder of land defenders. These attacks are often linked to illegal mining, logging, and agribusiness interests encroaching on Indigenous territories. Protesters called for international accountability and protection for those defending the forest and their communities.
Demands for Climate Justice
The protest was not just symbolic-it was strategic. Indigenous leaders and allied movements presented a list of demands, including:
- Legal recognition and enforcement of Indigenous land rights
- An end to extractive industries in the Amazon, including oil drilling
- Direct representation in climate negotiations
- Global accountability for environmental destruction
- Protection for Indigenous land defenders
- Full access to negotiation spaces for Indigenous delegates
COP30 may be remembered not just for its negotiations, but for the voices that rose outside its walls. The action- led by Indigenous Peoples and supported by local Brazilian movements- was a reminder that climate justice is inseparable from Indigenous justice, and that the future of the Amazon, and the planet, depends on both.