Thousands of people rallied across Denmark on Saturday to show solidarity with Greenland, after Donald Trump threatened to annex the Arctic island, prompting widespread concern in Europe and beyond.
Demonstrators gathered in cities nationwide, calling on the United States to respect Greenlanders’ right to self-determination. Trump has argued that Greenland is crucial to U.S. national security due to its strategic location and mineral wealth and has not ruled out using force to gain control. In response, several European countries this week sent military personnel to the island at Denmark’s request.
Marches in Copenhagen and Beyond
In Copenhagen, protesters assembled in City Hall Square before marching toward the U.S. embassy. Chanting “Greenland is not for sale,” they carried banners reading “Hands off Greenland” and waved Greenland’s red-and-white Erfalasorput flag.
“I am very grateful for the huge support we as Greenlanders are receiving,” said Julie Rademacher, chair of Uagut, an organisation representing Greenlanders in Denmark. “We are also sending a message to the world that it must wake up.”
Rademacher said Greenlanders had been thrust into a broader struggle over democratic values. “Greenland and its people have involuntarily become a frontline in the fight for democracy and human rights,” she added.
Video footage showed large crowds filling central Copenhagen, though organisers and police declined to give official estimates. Similar demonstrations were reported in other parts of Denmark, with additional protests planned in Nuuk later in the day.
Diplomatic Tensions Escalate
Trump’s repeated remarks about taking over Greenland have sparked an unprecedented diplomatic rift between Washington and Copenhagen. Both countries are founding members of NATO, making the dispute particularly sensitive.
Greenland, home to about 57,000 people, was governed for centuries from Copenhagen. Since 1979, it has gained extensive self-rule but remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark, which retains authority over defence and foreign policy and provides significant funding for the island’s administration.
All five political parties represented in Greenland’s parliament ultimately support independence, though they differ on the timing. In recent days, party leaders have said they would prefer to remain within the Danish realm rather than become part of the United States.
Calls for Self-Determination
The protests were organised by Greenlandic community groups in cooperation with ActionAid Denmark. Organisers stressed that their message was not only about opposing U.S. ambitions, but also about affirming Greenland’s right to decide its own future.
“We demand respect for the Danish Realm and for Greenland’s right to self-determination,” said Camilla Siezing, chair of Inuit, the Joint Association of Greenlandic Local Associations in Denmark.
According to Danish authorities, around 17,000 Greenlanders currently live in Denmark.
Limited Support in the U.S.
Public opinion in the United States appears to offer little backing for Trump’s proposal. Recent polling shows that only a small minority of Americans support efforts to acquire Greenland, while majorities across party lines oppose the use of military force to do so.
As protests continue, demonstrators in Denmark say their aim is clear: to signal international resistance to any attempt to redraw borders by coercion and to reaffirm Greenlanders’ right to determine their own destiny.