'Hands off Greenland' protests erupt in Denmark against Trump's threats

Thousands of people took to the streets across Denmark on Saturday to protest against US President Donald Trump’s stated ambition to take control of Greenland, news agency Reuters reported.

 

According to the report, large crowds gathered in Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg and Odense as part of coordinated protests organised by Greenlandic associations in Denmark, with parallel demonstrations planned in Greenland itself.

 

In Copenhagen, protesters assembled at City Hall Square around midday local time, chanting “Greenland is not for sale” and holding placards reading “Hands off Greenland”. The demonstrators later marched towards the US embassy in the Danish capital.

 

The protests were organised by Greenlandic groups in cooperation with ActionAid Denmark, Reuters reported, citing organisers.

 

Message of solidarity with Greenland

Uagut, an association representing Greenlanders in Denmark, said the demonstrations aimed “to send a clear and unified message of respect for Greenland’s democracy and fundamental human rights”.

 

“I am very grateful for the huge support we as Greenlanders receive,” said Julie Rademacher, chair of Uagut, Deutsche Welle reported. “We are also sending a message to the world that you all must wake up,” she added.

 

Rademacher said Greenland and its people had “involuntarily become the front line in the fight for democracy and human rights”.

 

Camilla Siezing, chair of Inuit, the Joint Association of Greenlandic Local Associations in Denmark, said the protests were directed against US statements on annexation. “We are demonstrating against American statements and ambitions to annex Greenland. We demand respect for the Danish Realm and for Greenland’s right to self-determination,” she was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

Protests planned in Greenland

In Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, a separate demonstration was scheduled for later in the day, with organisers describing it as a protest against what they called “illegal plans” by the United States to take control of the territory, Deutsche Welle reported.

 

Participants in Nuuk were expected to march to the US consulate carrying Greenlandic flags. Organisers said at least 900 people had indicated on social media that they planned to take part. Greenland’s total population is about 57,000, while around 17,000 Greenlanders live in Denmark, the report added.

Trump’s remarks fuel diplomatic tensions

Trump has repeatedly said Greenland is vital to US national security because of its strategic Arctic location and mineral resources, and has not ruled out the use of force to acquire it. His comments have drawn sharp criticism across Europe and triggered what diplomats describe as an unprecedented strain in relations between the United States and Denmark, both founding members of NATO.

 

Greenland, governed from Copenhagen for centuries, gained significant autonomy in 1979 but remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark, which controls defence and foreign policy and funds much of its administration.