COPENHAGEN — Thousands of people rallied across Denmark and in Greenland to protest U.S. President Donald Trump’s push to take over Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, a day after he warned he may impose tariffs on countries that oppose his plans. Demonstrators waving Danish and Greenlandic flags filled Copenhagen’s central square and chanted “Kalaallit Nunaat!” — Greenland’s name in the Greenlandic language — as a bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation visited the Danish capital.
The protests, organized by Greenlandic associations, spread beyond Copenhagen to Aarhus, Aalborg and Odense, with a sister march set for Nuuk, Greenland’s capital. Organizers said the aim was to send “a clear and unified message of respect for Greenland’s democracy and fundamental human rights,” and to oppose what they called the United States’ “illegal plans to take control of Greenland.”
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Greenland, a mineral-rich Arctic island of strategic importance, is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and exercises broad self-rule. As Danish territory, it is covered by NATO’s security umbrella — a point European allies emphasized as they prepared fresh military exercises in the Arctic.
In Copenhagen, protesters planned to stop outside the U.S. Embassy. In Nuuk, marchers were expected to head to the U.S. consulate carrying Greenlandic flags. “We demand respect for our country’s right to self-determination and for us as a people,” organizer Avijaja Rosing-Olsen said in a statement. “We demand respect for international law and international legal principles.”
“Recent events have put Greenland and Greenlanders in both Greenland and Denmark under pressure,” said Julie Rademacher, chair of Uagut, a Greenlanders’ association in Denmark. Calling for unity, she urged Greenlanders “to stand together” to avoid “creating more problems than solutions for ourselves and for each other.”
Public opinion on the island appears sharply opposed to any U.S. takeover. According to a poll published in January 2025, 85% of Greenlanders oppose the territory joining the United States, while 6% were in favor.
The demonstrations coincided with a visit by U.S. lawmakers who signaled resistance in Washington to the administration’s posture. “There are no pressing security threats to Greenland,” said Sen. Chris Coons, a Democrat leading the delegation, after meetings with Danish and Greenlandic officials and business leaders. He cited broader Arctic security concerns as climate change accelerates ice melt and reshapes shipping routes, adding that the United States and NATO partners should explore ways to invest in regional security.
Coons’ comments followed Trump adviser Stephen Miller’s assertion on Fox News that Denmark is too small to defend its Arctic territory — a claim at odds with the island’s NATO-backed status. Trump has repeatedly criticized Denmark, a NATO ally, for what he calls insufficient effort to ensure Greenland’s security.
European NATO members moved to underscore their position this week. France’s armed forces minister, Alice Rufo, said an upcoming deployment of personnel from Britain, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden would demonstrate Europe’s resolve to “defend [its] sovereignty” in the Arctic. Denmark said the United States has been invited to participate in the exercise.
The diplomatic and street-level pushback highlights Europe’s growing alarm over Greenland’s future as the Arctic heats up. For protesters in Copenhagen and Nuuk, the message was simple and pointed: respect Greenland’s autonomy and international law — and keep the island’s fate in Greenlandic hands.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
