Copenhagen (AFP) – Thousands of people took to the streets of Denmark’s capital on Saturday to protest against US President Donald Trump’s push to take over Greenland. The protest followed Trump’s warning on Friday that he might put tariffs on countries that oppose his plans to take over mineral-rich Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark. However, a delegation from US Congress held talks with Greenlandic and Danish politicians in Copenhagen on Saturday, determined to make it clear that many Americans oppose Trump’s stance.
The protesters waved the flags of Denmark and Greenland as they gathered outside Copenhagen city hall, chanting “Kalaallit Nunaat!” — the vast Arctic island’s name in Greenlandic. Others held aloft the slogan “Make America Go Away” — a riff on Trump’s MAGA brand — and “USA already has too much ICE,” referring to Trump’s deployment of armed immigration officers in US cities. Thousands of people had pledged on social media to take part in the marches and rallies in Copenhagen and in Aarhus, Aalborg, Odense, and the Greenlandic capital Nuuk.
“The aim is to send a clear and unified message of respect for Greenland’s democracy and fundamental human rights,” Uagut, an association of Greenlanders in Denmark that was one of the organisers, said on its website. A sister demonstration was scheduled to happen in Nuuk at 4:00 pm (1500 GMT), to protest Trump’s “illegal plans to take control of Greenland,” organisers said. Demonstrators would march to the US consulate carrying Greenlandic flags.
The Copenhagen rally headed to the US embassy in the Danish capital, where demonstrators chanted “Greenland is not for sale.” “You cannot be bullied by an ally. It’s about international law,” said protester Kirsten Hjoernholm, a 52-year-old charity worker. “I think for the Kingdom of Denmark it’s about unity, but especially for the Greenland people, it’s important to be here.” The demonstration in Greenland was “to show that we are taking action, that we stand together and that we support our politicians, diplomats, and partners,” Kristian Johansen, one of the organisers, said in a statement.
“We demand respect for our country’s right to self-determination and for us as a people,” added Avijaja Rosing-Olsen, another organiser. “This is not only our struggle, it is a struggle that concerns the entire world.” According to the latest poll published in January 2025, 85 percent of Greenlanders oppose the territory joining the United States, while only six percent were in favor.
Speaking in Copenhagen, where the US lawmakers’ delegation met top Danish and Greenlandic politicians and business leaders, US Democratic Senator Chris Coons insisted there was no security threat to justify the Trump administration’s stance. He was responding after Trump adviser Stephen Miller claimed on Fox News that Denmark was too small to defend its Arctic territory. “There are legitimate reasons for us to explore ways to invest better in Arctic security broadly, both in the American Arctic and in our NATO partners and allies,” said Coons.
Trump has repeatedly criticised Denmark — a NATO ally — for, in his view, not doing enough to ensure Greenland’s security. The US president has pursued that argument, despite Greenland being covered by NATO’s security umbrella. European NATO members are deploying troops in Greenland for a military exercise that France said was designed to show the world that they will defend the territory. Denmark said the US had been invited to take part in the exercise.
© 2024 AFP
