Demonstrators chanted slogans including “Hands off Greenland” and “Greenland is not for sale,” while waving Greenlandic flags. Many participants wore red hats bearing the slogan “Make America go away,” echoing the style of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign merchandise. The protest concluded minutes after the crowd reached the U.S. embassy, where a Greenlandic-Danish resident named Anna Møller expressed surprise at the turnout. “I am so touched by the support we see today,” Møller said. “It has been such an uneasy period, so it’s great to see so many who support us. Not just here, but from other parts of the world too.”
President Trump has repeatedly urged Greenland to join the United States, citing national security purposes. The U.S. already maintains a military presence on the island. In recent remarks to reporters on Air Force One, Trump stated, “One way or another, we’re going to have Greenland.” He has not ruled out military intervention if Denmark, a close NATO ally, blocks the transfer of the Arctic territory. The current rhetoric has instigated fear among Greenland’s Inuit population, according to reports.
The Saturday protest followed a visit to Copenhagen by a bipartisan delegation of House and Senate lawmakers. The congressional group met with Danish and Greenlandic officials as well as members of the Danish business community. The visit was described as a reassurance tour intended to affirm the longstanding relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of Denmark in the face of the president’s acquisition rhetoric.
Protesters expressed deep disappointment regarding the U.S. president’s comments. One demonstrator, Peder Dam, attended the march with his son, carrying signs that included a cartoon of Trump and a Star Wars image with the text, “Americans: I know there is good in you. Come back to sanity.” Dam stated that the actions in the White House are not representative of all Americans and questioned why there is not more widespread outrage from the American public. Another protester, identified only as Thomas due to concerns about workplace retaliation, described the march as representing an “unseen level of resentment towards the U.S.,” noting Denmark’s historical military support for the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan.
