(Jan 17): Thousands of people took to the streets across Denmark to protest US President Donald Trump’s ambitions to take control of Greenland, underscoring the deep unease over the future of the Arctic island.
The demonstrations unfolded across the Nordic nation’s largest cities on Saturday, with crowds gathering in central Copenhagen and outside the US embassy, in tandem with rallies in Aarhus, Aalborg and Odense. A demonstration was scheduled to start later in Greenland’s capital Nuuk.
Denmark and Greenland remain in a stalemate with the US over the future of the world’s largest island, with Trump repeatedly insisting the US needs to control the semi-autonomous territory that’s under the Kingdom of Denmark, an ambition that has been rejected time and again by Danes and Greenlanders.
Thousands of people braved chilly +2°C (+36°F) temperatures in the Danish capital, carrying banners saying “US has enough ICE”, “Yankee go home”, and “Not for sale”, referring to Trump’s offers to buy the island.
“Many people are deeply anxious. There are many Greenlanders who can’t sleep,” said Julie Rademacher, the chair of the national organisation for Greenlanders in Denmark, one of the main organisers of the event. “We want to send a clear message: Greenland doesn’t want to become American.”
The protests coincided with the visit of a delegation of US lawmakers to Denmark, which seeks to shore up support from Congress to contain Trump. The president on Friday ratcheted up the rhetoric, saying he “may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security”.
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During his second term, Trump has sought to use his sweeping tariff agenda to pressure other nations to make economic concessions and align themselves with his foreign policy priorities.
“This is not just about Greenland; it’s about respect for peoples and borders, and about the fact that small societies must not be pressured by great powers,” said Anja Geisler, a Greenlander living in Denmark, from the stage outside Copenhagen city hall during the protest. “Today, we are all Greenlanders.”
Bente Hegelund, born in Greenland with a Greenlandic mother and a Danish dad, arrived at the demonstration with a Greenlandic flag to show support for her community.
See also: EU parliament explores tying US trade deal approval to Greenland
“He creates insecurity. We feel anger and that we have been offended,” she said. “But I feel reassured seeing the unity we are witnessing today from Nato, Canada, and our neighbours, and that more people are questioning what Trump is doing.”
Meanwhile in Nuuk, protests were also scheduled at the US consulate, with officials warning Americans in the area to “remain vigilant” and “keep a low profile”.
The rallies come after foreign ministers from Denmark and Greenland visited the US earlier this week in a bid to defuse the threats and help repair the strained relationship. While talks with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio failed to end the impasse, the diplomats agreed to form a high-level working group to continue talks over the strategically important island.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters afterwards that the working group will continue the technical talks on the takeover of Greenland, contradicting the message from the Danes and Greenlanders.
“The dark cloud hanging over us just gets darker and darker,” Rademacher, one of the organisers, said. “It has prompted many reactions from people who call me in distress. We are now providing psychological crisis support for Greenlanders in Denmark.”
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