Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen speaks during a protest against Trump’s policy towards Greenland in front of the U.S. consulate in Nuuk on Saturday.Angu Motzfeldt/The Globe and Mail
Thousands of people marched through the streets of Nuuk on Saturday to protest Donald Trump’s relentless drive to buy Greenland or take the island by force.
The demonstration came as the U.S. President announced he would slap 10 per cent tariffs on a group of NATO countries that have sent troops to Greenland as a gesture of political support.
The protest began near the parliament buildings with a moment of silence and a rendition of Greenland’s national song Our Ancient Land. Many in the crowd carried Greenland flags and chanted “Greenland is for Greenlanders” as they marched to the U.S. consulate.
Thousands of Greenlanders marched across snow and ice to take a stand against U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday.
The Associated Press
Despite grey skies and a light drizzle, organizers pegged the turnout at around 5,000, which would be roughly one-quarter of the city’s population.
“We are tired of Trump,” said Paarnaq Larsen Strom as she walked with her eight-year daughter. “I won’t allow him to make me feel scared and nervous anymore. I’m sick and tired of it.”
She believes the U.S. President is only interested in taking Greenland’s minerals. “And once you do that, our culture will die. We are people who are quiet and live in peace. He’s not allowed to ruin that.”
Liv Molich said it was important to show Mr. Trump that Greenlanders were united. “He’s stubborn, so he doesn’t want to walk back and just leave it so. So we need to show him that we don’t want Greenland being part of America, but part of Scandinavia, part of Denmark.”
In Greenland’s coastal capital, Trump’s threats have residents holding their collective breath
People across the island, which is a semi-autonomous part of Denmark, have been under intense pressure for weeks as Mr. Trump ratcheted up his rhetoric. He has insisted that the U.S. “needs” Greenland for national security reasons and he has not ruled out a military invasion.
In response, eight NATO countries, including France, Germany and Britain, have sent soldiers to Greenland as part of a Danish-led mission called Operation Arctic Endurance. Canada has yet to join the effort, which has been organized as a show of support for Greenland.
Danish Major-General Søren Andersen, leader of the Joint Arctic Command, told the Associated Press that the Danish military organized a planning meeting on Friday in Greenland with NATO allies, including the U.S., to discuss Arctic security. The Americans were also invited to participate in Operation Arctic Endurance.
Thousands of people marched through the streets of Nuuk on Saturday to protest Donald Trump’s relentless drive to buy Greenland or take the island by force.Angu Motzfeldt/The Globe and Mail
On Saturday, Mr. Trump accused the NATO countries of journeying to Greenland “for purposes unknown”.
“This is a very dangerous situation for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet. These Countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable,” he wrote in a lengthy post on social media.
Mr. Trump added that as of Feb. 1, the U.S. would impose a 10-per-cent tariff on imports from the nations that have participated in the Greenland operation. “On June 1st, 2026, the Tariff will be increased to 25%.”
However, he also indicated a willingness to negotiate with Denmark “and/or any of these Countries.”
Trump’s Greenland threats give boost to Churchill port expansion
It’s not clear what impact Mr. Trump’s threat will have. So far the NATO mission in Greenland has been fairly low-key and involves a handful of soldiers working mainly in reconnaissance.
The U.S. currently charges a 10-per-cent tariff on imports from Britain and 15 per cent on European Union imports. The new tax would likely be charged on top of those.
In a post on X, French President Emmanuel Macron said “no intimidation or threat will influence us” and added that: “Tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context.”
“France is committed to the sovereignty and independence of nations, in Europe and elsewhere,” he wrote.
In a statement, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his government’s position on Greenland had not wavered. The island “is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes.”
He added that “applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is completely wrong. We will of course be pursuing this directly with the US administration.”
People across the Greenland have been under intense pressure for weeks as Mr. Trump ratcheted up his threats to annex the country.Marko Djurica/Reuters
Jan Kohler, who helped organize the Nuuk protest, said he’d been feeling anxious and powerless for weeks about Mr. Trump. When he shared his thoughts with friends on Facebook recently, they decided to do something to voice their opposition. “We hope that we can show that we stand together as a people,” he said. And he brought this message for Mr. Trump on Saturday; “You cannot trade people. We are human. We are human beings.”
Similar protests were held in four other Greenlandic communities and across Denmark.
In Copenhagen several thousand people gathered outside city hall and marched to the U.S. embassy. Many carried Greenland flags and signs that read, “Hands off Greenland.”
“It is not just Greenland, it is the entire world order that is at stake,” Greenland MP Pipaluk Lynge told the crowd.
People march during a “Hands off Greenland” demonstration, in Copenhagen on Saturday.Emil Helms/The Associated Press
“We appeal to Greenlanders in both Greenland and Denmark to stand together,” added Julie Rademacher, chair of Uagut, the National Organisation for Greenlanders in Denmark.
Foreign Ministers from Greenland and Denmark tried to ease the pressure this week during a meeting in Washington with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. They made little progress and both sides only “agreed to disagree.” They couldn’t even agree on the terms of a working group they plan to set up to discuss the issue further.
The Danish and Greenlandic ministers said the group would focus on security issues while respecting the right of Greenland’s self determination. But White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said the working group would “continue technical discussions on the takeover of Greenland.”
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed any further discussions, but in a post on Facebook this week he reiterated his government’s stance: “Greenland is not for sale. Greenland will not be owned by the United States. Greenland will not be governed by the United States. Greenland does not want to be a part of the United States.”
With a file from the Associated Press
A crowd walks to the U.S. consulate to protest against Trump’s Greenland policy in Nuuk on Saturday.Evgeniy Maloletka/The Associated Press