Thousands of people in Greenland marched through snow and ice on Saturday to protest against Donald Trump's repeated threats to take control of the island. The demonstration in Nuuk, the capital, drew nearly a quarter of the city's population, with participants carrying signs and chanting “Greenland is not for sale”. Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen joined the protest, which organisers described as the largest ever seen in the territory.
The protest came as Trump announced a 10% tariff on eight European countries from February over their opposition to US control of Greenland. The news broke just as the marchers reached the US consulate in Nuuk, prompting anger among protesters. Malik Dollerup-Scheibel, a 21-year-old participant, said: “It just shows he has no remorse for any kind of human being now.”
Solidarity rallies were held across the Danish realm, including in Copenhagen, as well as in Iqaluit, the capital of Canada's Inuit-governed territory of Nunavut. In Copenhagen, Danish protester Elise Riechie held flags and said: “There are many small countries. None of them are for sale.”
Many Greenlanders brought their children to the protest. Marie Pedersen, a 47-year-old, said she wanted to show her children “that they’re allowed to speak up”. Her nine-year-old daughter, Alaska, had made her own sign reading “Greenland is not for sale” and said teachers had discussed the controversy at school. Police officer Tom Olsen said the protest was the biggest he had ever seen, adding: “I hope it can show him that we stand together in Europe.”
Former Greenlandic MP Tillie Martinussen said she hoped the Trump administration would “abandon this crazy idea”, describing the push to preserve Nato and Greenland's autonomy as more important than facing tariffs. “This is a fight for freedom,” she said. Nurse Louise Lennert Olsen appealed directly to the American people, saying: “I would really like them to support our wish to be Greenland as we are now.”
