A group of activists, including indigenous and non-indigenous people, stormed the blue zone of COP30, the diplomatic centre of the United Nations (UN) climate conference in Brazil's Belém, on Tuesday night.
Following the incident, the main entrance to the venue was shut for repair and re-opened at 7 o'clock on Wednesday, the UNFCCC secretariat said.
Sources said after taking part in a march on health and climate, the protesters managed to enter the City Park, the main venue of the event, amid clashes with security guards.
They demanded "taxing the billionaires" and blamed them for global warming.
Security personnel from the UNFCCC formed human chains and barricades to contain the crowd.
But protesters forced their way into the accreditation zone.
Several dozen men and women, some in brightly-coloured feather headdresses, ran through the entrance, pushing at least one door off its hinges, before striding through the metal detectors and entering the blue zone, said sources.
UN security guards rushed to stop them, leading to grabbing, shoving, and yelling.
The protesters waved banners and chanted slogans until they were forcibly removed.
A UN climate spokesperson said two security guards received minor injuries, and there was minor damage to the venue.
After the confrontation, the protesters left the venue, and uniformed fire brigade officers formed a cordon to block the entrance. The UN spokesperson said Brazilian and UN security personnel had taken "protective actions to secure the venue, following all established security protocols" and were investigating the incident. The venue was fully secured and COP negotiations continued, he said.
Azizjst@yahoo.com
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