Greenland protests reject President Donald Trump takeover push
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Protests broke out in Greenland on Saturday as demonstrators rejected President Donald Trump’s push to seize the Arctic island, Reuters reported; Protesters chanted “Greenland is not for sale” and said they wanted to determine their own future.
“We’re not interested in being Americans,” one protester said on video during demonstrations in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk.
The protests follow Trump’s new push to buy Greenland; This included Trump’s Truth Social post on Saturday, in which he announced new tariffs on several European countries if an agreement was not reached on the US purchase of the island
In the post, Trump wrote that Denmark and other European countries would face a 10 percent tariff starting February 1, rising to 25 percent on June 1, and said the tariffs would remain in effect “until an Agreement for the Full and Complete acquisition of Greenland is reached.”
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People attended a protest in Nuuk, Greenland, on Saturday against President Donald Trump’s demand that the Arctic island be ceded to the United States (Reuters/Marko Djurica)
Some demonstrators wore red baseball caps inspired by the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) hats worn by Trump supporters, but bearing the slogan “Take America Away.”
According to Reuters, thousands of protesters in Nuuk, led by Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, marched towards the US consulate carrying flags and banners and chanting “Kalaallit Nunaat”, the Greenlandic name for the island. Nielsen addressed the crowd outside the consulate to loud cheers.
“I came here today because I think it’s important to show that Greenland is not for sale. This is not a toy. This is our home,” officer Naja Holm told Reuters.
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A protester attends a demonstration to show support for Greenland in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Saturday. (Reuters/Tom Little)
Trump said Greenland was vital to US national security because of its strategic location in the Arctic and mineral resources, and warned that China and Russia were seeking influence over the island. He argued that US control would strengthen Western security in the region.
The dispute provoked a harsh reaction from European leaders.
The Swedish prime minister said Europe “will not be blackmailed”, while French President Emmanuel Macron warned that tariff threats were unacceptable and said Europe would respond in a united and coordinated manner in an X-share.
People took part in a protest Saturday against the Trump administration’s demand that the Arctic island be ceded to the United States (Reuters/Marko Djurica)
“When we face such situations, no intimidation or threat will affect us, neither in Ukraine, nor in Greenland, nor anywhere else in the world,” Macron wrote in an X post. “Tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context. If confirmed, Europeans will respond to them in a united and coordinated manner.”
Dutch Prime Minister David van Weel also took to social media in response.
“We noted President Trump’s announcement regarding tariffs,” Van Weel wrote. “Military efforts related to the exercises in Greenland aim to contribute to security in the Arctic region. The Netherlands is in close contact with the Netherlands. @EU_Commission and our partners agree with our response.”
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Greenland is a semi-autonomous region of Denmark with a population of approximately 57,000.
All political parties represented in Greenland’s parliament support eventual independence but have differing views on timing and have said they would prefer to remain part of Denmark rather than part of the United States, Reuters reported.
