“On Saturday, January 17, tens of thousands of demonstrators in Greenland and Denmark took part in mass protests against US President Donald Trump’s demands to transfer the island to American control. The participants of the actions declared their readiness to fight for their freedom and demanded to respect their right to determine their own future.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Copenhagen, Denmark. Photo: Getty Images Source: The Guardian, Reuters
Details: In the capital of Greenland, Nuuk, the column of protesters was personally led by Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen. Thousands of people with national flags marched from the city center to the US consulate. People carried national flags and placards with the main slogan of the action – “Greenland is not for sale”, chanting “Kalaallit Nunaat” – the name of the island in the Greenlandic language.
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According to participants and law enforcement, it was the largest protest the island had ever seen. The actions also covered other parts of the Danish kingdom.
The largest march took place in Copenhagen, where, according to organizers, more than 20,000 people gathered on the streets.
The crowd waved placards with the slogans “No means no” and “Hands off Greenland”. Some participants wore red baseball caps that parodied the signature style of Trump supporters, but with a changed inscription: “Make America Go Away”.
Photo: Getty ImagesIn Copenhagen, demonstrators came out with Danish and Greenlandic flags, emphasizing that “no country is for sale”. Support was also expressed in Canada – a rally was held in the capital of the Inuit territory of Nunavut.
Whole families came to the demonstration in Nuuk. Local residents note that even in schools, teachers have begun to discuss with children the threat to sovereignty and the role of NATO, teaching them to “stand up for themselves if another country puts pressure on them.”
It was at the end of the march that it became known about Trump’s intention to introduce new tariffs against European countries, which only increased the indignation of the crowd.
“I hope this will show him (Trump – ed.) that we are united in Europe. We will not give up without a fight,” Nuuk police officer Tom Olsen said.
“At first, they positioned themselves as friends and allies, they claimed that they wanted to make Greenland better… And now they are just threatening us,” former member of the Parliament of Greenland Tilly Martinussen emphasized the change in the US attitude towards the island.
What preceded:
- On January 14, Trump made a demand to buy Greenland, calling it a strategic necessity for the United Statesand criticized European countries for sending a military contingent to defend the island.
- Greenland, home to 57,000 people, has enjoyed broad autonomy since 1979, but defense and foreign policy are controlled by Copenhagen.
- In accordance with survey Reuters/Ipsos, only 17% of Americans approve of Trump’s efforts to acquire Greenland. Majorities of both Democrats and Republicans oppose the use of military force to annex the island. Trump himself called the results of this poll “fake”.