Thousands of protesters across Denmark and Greenland have taken to the streets to condemn US President Donald Trump’s controversial efforts to seize control of the autonomous Arctic island. Donning parody “Make America Go Away” hats, the demonstrators made their message clear: Greenland is not for sale.
The protests came in response to Trump’s announcement of new tariffs on several European countries until a deal is reached for his administration to assume control of Greenland. An estimated 10,000 Danes gathered at Copenhagen’s City Hall Square, many wearing the red MAGA-style caps that instead read “Nu det NUUK” – a play on Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, meaning “Now it’s enough.”
Across the island, large crowds of Greenlanders marched, chanting “Greenland is not for sale” and holding banners declaring “Hands off Greenland.” One protester, Susanne Kristensen, told NBC News, “We have to support Greenland. We are Danes, Greenland are Danes, even though they’re Greenlanders, and we just have to stick together.”
Despite some fears of potential retaliation from the US, the demonstrators remained defiant. “I won’t go there until he’s out,” Kristensen said, referring to Trump. Another protester, Almond, 57, said he had never protested before but felt compelled to take action. “I’ve actually never done this before, demonstrating, but this is very important to me,” he told NBC.
The protests came just as Trump announced plans to impose a 10% import tax starting in February on goods from eight European countries that oppose his efforts to seize control of Greenland. The bloc is also considering restricting US companies from its market in response to the threat.
Greenland, home to around 57,000 people, has been governed from Copenhagen for centuries, though it has gained significant autonomy. All parties in Greenland’s parliament favour the island’s independence and prefer to remain part of Denmark rather than the US. Polls show only 17% of Americans support Trump’s attempts to acquire Greenland, with large majorities of both Democrats and Republicans opposing the use of military force to take the island.
