Kathmandu. Thousands of citizens took to the streets in Greenland on Saturday to protest US President Donald Trump’s threatening remarks. Amidst the freezing snow and ice, residents of the capital Nuuk showed their support for their own self-rule and sovereignty, carrying protest placards, waving national flags, and chanting “Greenland is not for sale.”
As protesters marched through Nuuk’s small downtown area to the US consulate, news broke on the same day from Florida that President Trump had announced a 10 percent import tariff on goods from eight European countries starting in February. The announcement is said to have sparked further anger among the protesters.
“I thought today couldn’t get any worse, but it got worse,” said local youth Malik Dollerup Shebel. He said President Trump’s latest move clearly shows no sensitivity to other nations and people.
President Trump has long been publicizing the idea that the United States should take possession of Greenland, which is strategically important and rich in mineral resources. Greenland is a self-governing territory under Denmark.
Local leaders say his stance has become more assertive since the military operation to oust former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro earlier this month.
According to Dolerup-Schebel, 21, and Prime Minister Jens-Friedrich Nielsen, the demonstration was the largest in Nuuk’s history, with about a quarter of the population taking part. Similar solidarity rallies were held in other Danish cities, Copenhagen and the capital of Canada’s Inuit-governed territory of Nunavut.
“This is not just a Greenland issue, it’s a global issue,” said Alice Ritchie, a woman in Copenhagen, who sent a clear message that no small nation is for sale. The Nuuk demonstration was attended by people of all ages.
Marie Pedersen, 47, accompanied her children on a walk accompanied by traditional songs and music. “We want to keep our country, our culture and our family safe,” he said. His nine-year-old daughter, Alaska, carried a placard she made herself that read “Greenland is not for sale.”
Nuuk Police Chief Tom Olsen said Saturday’s demonstration was the largest he had ever seen. “We want this to send a message that Europe is united,” he said.
Former Greenlandic parliament member Tilly Martinsson expressed hope that the Trump administration would abandon the “unwise idea” of acquiring Greenland. She said what had started as a gesture of friendship and cooperation had now turned into an open threat. She said protecting NATO and Greenland’s autonomy was more important than potential economic pressure.
Forty-year-old nurse Louise Lenart Olsen said she wanted to send a message to the American people more than to President Trump. “They should support our desire for Greenland to remain the way we are,” she said. Agency
