SEO Riders:
– Protesters escorted out mid-session after displaying Palestinian flag; badges revoked.
– Critics say UNFCCC silenced human-rights voices amid linkage of Palestine and climate justice.
– Civil society voices warn of exclusion, visa barriers, and shrinking civic space ahead of COP29.
During the June 2024 UN climate negotiations in Bonn—part of the UNFCCC’s mid-year conference—two climate justice activists Tasneem Essop and Anabella Rosemberg disrupted the opening plenary by raising a Palestinian flag and a banner reading “No business as usual during a genocide”, demanding solidarity with Gaza. UN security quickly removed them from the stage and revoked their badges, barring further participation . Numerous observers criticized this as censorship, arguing that efforts to link Palestine’s plight with climate justice were unjustly silenced .
Civil society stakeholders also highlighted systemic exclusion, citing documented visa denials and tough accreditation processes that disproportionately impacted Global South delegates, including government and grassroots representatives from Africa . Critics warn such practices reflect a narrowing civic space and heightened “sanitization” of climate talks—posing a serious threat to the equity and inclusivity of upcoming COP29 negotiations, which must align climate action with human rights and justice
