The demonstrators waved yellow flags protesting oil drilling in the Amazon.
BELÉM, Brazil — Activist groups and United Nations security clashed in chaotic scenes late Tuesday after protesters appeared to force their way into the COP30 climate conference venue, in the most serious act of unrest seen in years inside one of the annual gatherings.
Security personnel were barricading the entrance with tables around 7:30 p.m. local time (5:30 p.m. EST) after forcing out demonstrators who waved yellow flags protesting oil drilling in the Amazon.
At least one security guard appeared to be injured.
“It was people running, trying to storm inside,” said Enric Noguera Marcet, with the organization Plant Based Treaty, who was nearby when the protest erupted. “They [U.N. security] forced them out. Security were very aggressive. They grabbed some people by the neck, pushed people to the ground. I saw some punches as well.”
A spokesperson for U.N. Climate Change said the situation was under control after the disruption.
“Earlier this evening, a group of protesters breached security barriers at the main entrance to the COP, causing minor injuries to two security staff, and minor damage to the venue,” the spokesperson said. “Brazilian and UN security personnel took protective actions to secure the venue, following all established security protocols. Brazilian and UN authorities are investigating the incident. The venue is fully secured, and COP negotiations continue.”
Footage shared with POLITICO shows also security forces manhandling some of the protesters. Parts of the venue, in the capital of the northern Brazilian state of Pará, were evacuated.
In the video, a large group of protesters stood shouting and chanting holding banners and a large Palestinian flag. Some of them were wearing traditional Indigenous clothing and headgear. In one heated moment, protesters could be seen standing up to guards and guards shoving them backward.
In another video shared with POLITICO that could not be immediately verified, the protesters could be seen storming into the hall of the talks from outside with guards running to try to encircle them.
The COP site is temporarily a U.N. diplomatic zone, and security is managed by the U.N.’s own security team, not the Brazilian government.