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

By Melina Walling And Joshua A. Bickel The 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.

The protest took weeks of thought and planning, with activists pitching the location as somewhere bigger and more visually striking. But with the stands being outside the main venue, most of the attendees at this year’s U.N. climate talks didn’t see or hear it — except for maybe some in the COP29 presidency offices right below. The majority of the people involved in deciding the financial future of climate action at the talks remained in the sprawling venue, under white tarps with no windows.