Tens of thousands of activists, Indigenous leaders, and concerned citizens converged in Belém, Brazil, last Saturday, November 16, 2025, for a massive mobilization demanding urgent global action on the accelerating climate and biodiversity crises amidst the contentious COP30 United Nations climate talks. The demonstration, dubbed the Great People’s March, served as a powerful mid-point protest during the international negotiations, spotlighting Indigenous sovereignty, environmental protection, and a definitive end to fossil fuel dependence within the Amazon host city. The event drew participants from across the globe, urging nearly 200 negotiating nations to dramatically raise their climate ambitions.
The demonstration followed earlier protests led by Indigenous groups from the Tapajós region, emphasizing the local toll of resource extraction. Before the main procession began, Indigenous protesters, many adorned in traditional ceremonial attire, gathered beneath a colossal inflatable globe. Their presence underscored the environmental threats faced by their communities. Raquel Wapichana, who journeyed nine hours from Roraima to participate, highlighted the urgency, stating her march represented the fight for her people, ancestral lands, and rivers against aggressive mining, agribusiness expansion, and land invasions.
Protesters Stage Symbolic Funeral for Fossil Fuels
A striking centerpiece of the march was a symbolic “funeral for fossil fuels.” A group of performers dressed in black processed with three oversized coffins labeled coal, oil, and gas, flanked by imposing ghoul puppets. Local actor Krishna explained the performance symbolized the critical struggle to transition away from fossil fuels for future generations. Anti-capitalist blocs carried banners condemning environmental degradation as a direct consequence of capitalism, also challenging a proposed energy transition that might facilitate further oil exploration in the Amazon region.
Further illustrating local resistance, Maria Melia of the Quilombola Movement of Maranhão marched to the sound of the Italian resistance anthem “Bella Ciao,” protesting a proposed hydrovia freight waterway she warned would devastate her community. Biodiversity concerns were visually represented through large depictions of rainforest fauna, including the capybara, urging negotiators to prioritize the Amazon’s ecological integrity.
Among the most ambitious displays was a 30-meter cobra sculpture, a collaborative effort by 16 Santarém artists. The sculpture, which required 83 people to carry, carried dual symbolism: referencing a sacred Amazonian serpent and the Portuguese verb “cobrar,” meaning “to demand payment.” Helena Ramos of the Amazônia da Pé grassroots coalition explained the effigy demanded climate finance be directed toward impacted Amazonian communities.
While Belém was selected by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to shine a light on the Amazon, his administration’s recent authorization of oil exploration near the river’s mouth just prior to the talks created controversy. Furthermore, analysis by the Kick Big Polluters Out coalition estimated the presence of approximately 1,600 fossil fuel-linked delegates at COP30—a 12% increase from the previous year—sparking criticism that this substantial industry presence risks diluting climate ambition.
Indigenous Voices and Difficult Negotiations
Security remained extremely tight around the COP30 venue, with riot police guarding entrances. Negotiations among national delegations have proven fractious, focusing on four core disagreements: clarity on climate finance, establishing global trade rules, ensuring transparency in reporting, and defining the response to insufficient national climate plans.
Despite the summit being heralded as an “Indigenous people’s COP,” many Indigenous groups feel their critical concerns regarding rampant deforestation, land tenure rights, and resource extraction are being marginalized inside the official negotiating halls. This frustration led some groups to advocate and sell crafts outside the secured perimeter.
The host nation, Brazil, has signaled that negotiations will likely conclude without a new overarching “cover decision,” instead pivoting to a focus on implementation—a stance that remains poorly defined. As talks continue into the following week with uncertain outcomes, the visible and defiant public pressure from the Great People’s March underscores the widespread demand for negotiators to deliver concrete, equitable, and substantial climate action.