Massive protests in Denmark to tell US to keep ‘Hands off Greenland’

Thousands of protesters gathered across Denmark on Saturday to oppose President Donald Trump’s threat to take control of Greenland and to support residents of the Arctic island’s right to self-determination.

Trump has claimed the U.S. needs Greenland because its strategic location and vast stores of minerals make it strategically important, and he has refused to rule out taking it by force. That has prompted some European nations − including France, Germany, the U.K., ‌Norway and Sweden − to deploy military forces to the frozen island as a show of support for ‌Denmark.

Some protesters chanted “Greenland is not for sale” and held ‌banners and signs saying “Hands off Greenland” alongside Greenland’s red and white flag, Reuters reported. Demonstrators were seen wearing red “Make America Go Away” hats, modeled on Trump’s own “Make America Great Again” campaign merchandise. After assembling in Copenhagen’s City ​Hall Square, the crowd marched towards the U.S. embassy.

Trump’s insistence ‌on acquiring Greenland – which recently has ⁠included threats to “do something” about the island, “whether they like it or not” – has rattled the global community, threatening to upend one of ‌the U.S.’s most important alliances, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO. 

“I am very grateful for the huge support we as Greenlanders receive … we are also sending a message ‌to the world that you all must wake up,” said Julie Rademacher, chair of Uagut, an organization for Greenlanders in Denmark.

“I am very grateful for the huge support we as Greenlanders receive … we are also sending a ‌message to the world ​that you ‌all must wake up,” said Julie Rademacher, chair of Uagut, an organization for Greenlanders in Denmark.

“Greenland and the Greenlanders have involuntarily become the front in the fight for democracy and human rights,” she added.

Meanwhile, ‌as European troops gather in Greenland, a bipartisan delegation of U.S. lawmakers traveled to Copenhagen on Friday to reassure Danish leaders amid fears the U.S. could annex the resource-rich island. ​The group met with the prime ministers and members of parliament of both Denmark and Greenland, which is part of the European nation.

Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, emerged from the conversations saying the delegations had a “good dialogue,” ⁠and their hope was to tone down political rhetoric about the situation.

Trump ​has threatened to use tariffs to force other countries to go along with ⁠his plans, on Friday, calling himself the “Tariff King.”