Indigenous-Led ‘Great People’s March’ Draws 50,000 Protesters Outside COP30 in Belém

More than 50,000 protesters flooded the streets of Belém, Brazil, on Saturday in a vibrant indigenous-led demonstration staged on the sidelines of the COP30 UN Climate Change Conference. The rally, known as the “Great People’s March,” marked the largest public protest at a climate summit in four years.

Under intense heat, indigenous groups, climate activists and supporters chanted, danced and beat drums as they moved through the Amazonian host city. Demonstrators pushed a giant inflatable Earth and carried a Brazilian flag stamped with the message “Protected Amazon,” symbolizing their demand for stronger environmental protection.

Some participants staged a symbolic funeral for fossil fuels, dressing in black and marching with three coffins labeled “coal,” “oil,” and “gas” to underscore their call for an end to global dependence on carbon-intensive energy sources.

“We are here to apply pressure so that countries fulfil their promises — we cannot accept any setbacks,” said 28-year-old indigenous leader Txai Suruí.

The march represents the first large-scale protest at a UN climate summit since COP26 in Glasgow. Recent conferences in Egypt, Dubai and Azerbaijan offered little space for demonstrations due to strict local restrictions.

Saturday’s rally comes midway through tense negotiations in Belém and follows two earlier indigenous-led demonstrations that temporarily disrupted proceedings, reinforcing calls for stronger commitments to protect the Amazon and uphold climate justice.