Climate protesters to rally at COP30's halfway mark

BELEM,

Thousands of people are expected to march through the streets of Belem on Saturday, demanding “real solutions” to human-caused global warming as the Brazilian city hosts this year’s UN climate talks.

Branded the “Great People's March” by organisers, the rally comes at the halfway point of the contentious COP30 negotiations and follows two Indigenous-led protests that disrupted proceedings earlier in the week.

The previous three conferences were held in Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt, where activists feared arrest.

Marchers — including Indigenous peoples, fishers, youth, and workers - will gather at a local market at 7:30 am (10:30 GMT) and walk roughly 4.5 kilometres (2.8 miles), stopping a few blocks short of the COP30 site.

Their demands include “reparations” for damage caused by corporations and governments, particularly affecting marginalised communities.

“Historically, people build the real solutions, so the march aims to denounce the climate crisis but also to present our proposals to the world,” Iury Paulino, part of the march’s coordination team and a member of the Movement of People Affected by Dams, told AFP.

Although the march route does not reach the COP venue itself, security is expected to remain on high alert.

On Tuesday, Indigenous protesters forced their way into Parque da Cidade - the COP30 compound built on the site of a former airport - clashing with security personnel, some of whom sustained minor injuries. Then on Friday, dozens of Indigenous protesters blocked the entrance for around two hours to spotlight their struggles in the Amazon, prompting high-level interventions to defuse the situation.

Inside the venue, negotiations are delicately poised. At the close of the first week, the Brazilian presidency of COP30 is expected to unveil its strategy on Saturday for reconciling countries’ demands.

Top issues include addressing weak climate targets and improving financial flows from rich to poor countries to enhance resilience against a warming world and support the transition to low-emission economies. Trade barriers, such as Europe’s carbon border tax, have emerged as a key contention, as has whether to set timelines and targets for the shift away from fossil fuels.

Several participants believe negotiators are holding firm to their positions while awaiting the arrival of ministers next week, who must reach an agreement by the end of the conference on 21 November.

An African negotiator expressed hope that the presidency would take the lead, “otherwise this could turn out to be an empty COP,” contrasting with optimism expressed by others.

“The parties are here to get a positive outcome of this COP,” said German State Secretary Jochen Flasbarth. Another Western diplomat noted that the Brazilian presidency had urged countries to treat consultations as “therapy sessions” - a safe space to air concerns. Delegations were also encouraged to submit private reflections on how they felt the talks were progressing, which the Brazilians referred to as “love letters.”

“These negotiations, they are like a roller coaster sometimes, you know, they are up, sometimes they are down,” summarised Brazil’s chief negotiator, Liliam Chagas.