Activists at COP29 spend weeks planning demos. But they can feel stifled by rules and restrictions

Associated Press

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — In the nosebleed seats of a nearly-empty Baku Olympic stadium coated with a layer of dust, activists used a giant banner to beam the words “Pay Up” to the world. But the negotiators below, who will be deciding the financial future of climate action at COP29, didn’t see. The physical separation between this protest and key stakeholders at this year’s UN climate talks represents a larger challenge activists are facing at an event that strictly limits where and how they can speak about the issues they are fighting for. That difficulty overlays the general ambience of a COP light on world leaders and heavy on the pressure of financing life-or-death climate action.