Thousands of people took to the streets of Denmark and Greenland this Saturday (17) to protest against the territorial ambitions of United States President Donald Trump. The demonstrations responded to calls made by NGOs on social media.
On Friday (16), Trump threatened to impose tariffs on countries that do not support his plan to take control of the autonomous territory in the Arctic.
Under gray skies and temperatures close to 0°C, protesters occupied Copenhagen City Hall square. They carried flags of Denmark and Greenland. The group chanted the name of the island in Greenlandic, “Kalaallit Nunaat”.
Posters displayed messages in English, such as “Make America Go Away”, in reference to the slogan “Make America Great Again”.
The mobilization was organized by the National Organization of Greenlanders in Denmark (Uagut), the citizen movement “Don’t touch Greenland” and the Inuit, which brings together local associations.
The main events took place in Copenhagen and Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. There were also protests in Aarhus, Aalborg and Odense.
“We demand respect for our country’s right to self-determination and for our people. We demand respect for international law and international legal principles. This is not just our fight, it is a fight that concerns the entire world”, declared Avijâja Rosing-Olsen, organizer of the events.
Denmark invites the United States to exercises in Greenland
Research released in January 2025 by the Greenlandic institute HS Analyse shows that 85% of the population rejects annexation by the United States. Only 6% say they are in favor.
In parallel, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Finland announced the sending of military personnel for a reconnaissance mission in the Danish exercise “Arctic Endurance”, carried out with allies from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
The United States has also been invited to participate in military exercises in Greenland, according to the head of Denmark’s Arctic Command, Søren Andersen. He stated that the activities include the presence of Russia.
Trump maintains that the purchase of Greenland serves national security interests. He claims that there are Russian and Chinese ships in the region.
