Thousands of people demonstrated in Copenhagen and Nuuk on Saturday against Donald Trump’s renewed push to bring Greenland under US control. The rallies took place in Denmark’s capital and in Greenland’s capital as a visiting congressional delegation from the United States arrived in Copenhagen, adding diplomatic weight to an already tense dispute over the Arctic territory.
BBC reported that the protests were organized by Greenlandic and Danish NGOs and drew broad backing from people who reject Trump’s claim that the island is critical to American national security. In Nuuk, Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen joined protesters as they carried signs reading that Greenland is not for sale and that Greenlanders shape their own future. In Copenhagen, participants held placards saying “Hands Off Greenland” and “Greenland for Greenlanders.”
The controversy has intensified because Trump has not ruled out taking Greenland by force, while also threatening tariffs on European countries opposed to his plan. In a post on Truth Social, he said goods from Denmark and several other European states would face a 10% tariff from 1 February and a 25% tariff from 1 June if no deal on Greenland was reached. BBC said his comments prompted a sharp reaction from European allies and Greenlandic leaders.
Greenland matters strategically because of its location between North America and the Arctic and because of its potential for early-warning and maritime monitoring. BBC noted that the island is sparsely populated but resource-rich and that opinion polls suggest 85% of Greenlanders oppose joining the United States. That makes the protests more than symbolic; they reflect an entrenched public rejection of the idea.
The American delegation’s visit showed that not all US voices are aligned with Trump’s rhetoric. Senator Chris Coons, who led the group, called the president’s language not constructive and said there are legitimate reasons to invest more in Arctic security. The US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, took the opposite view, telling Fox News that Greenlanders would be safer, stronger and more prosperous under the US umbrella.
Europe has rallied behind Denmark. BBC said France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands and the UK have all sent small troop contingents to Greenland on a reconnaissance mission, underlining how the dispute is now folded into wider Arctic security concerns.
The weekend’s demonstrations showed a clear message from Greenlandic and Danish protesters: whatever future the Arctic region has, they want it decided without coercion, and without being treated as a prize in a geopolitical bargaining match.
