Mass demonstrations organized under the banner ‘Hands Off Greenland’ swept through Denmark and Greenland on Saturday, representing a powerful grassroots response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial statements regarding potential acquisition of the autonomous Danish territory. The protests, coordinated by Greenlandic associations including Uagut and the Inuit umbrella organization, drew thousands of participants across multiple cities including Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg, Odense, and the Greenlandic capital of Nuuk.
The mobilization follows Trump’s January 16th warning that he “may put a tariff” on nations opposing his territorial ambitions toward Greenland. This economic threat has ignited widespread condemnation among Greenlanders, with recent polls indicating 85% of the territory’s population opposes joining the United States, while only 6% support such a move.
In Nuuk, demonstrators gathered at 4:00 PM local time to march toward the U.S. consulate carrying Greenlandic flags, explicitly protesting what organizers termed “the United States’ illegal plans to take control of Greenland.” Simultaneously, in Copenhagen, protesters assembled at noon outside the U.S. embassy, creating a visible symbol of resistance during a visit by a bipartisan delegation of U.S. lawmakers.
Julie Rademacher, chairwoman of Uagut, emphasized the need for unity, stating recent events have placed “Greenlanders in both Greenland and Denmark under pressure.” Organizers Kristian Johansen and Avijaja Rosing-Olsen articulated clear demands for “respect for our country’s right to self-determination” and adherence to “international law and international legal principles,” framing the struggle as having global significance beyond Greenland’s 57,000 inhabitants.
The protests represent a remarkable show of democratic engagement in the Arctic territory, with social media indications suggesting participation numbers that would represent a substantial portion of Greenland’s total population.