Donald Trump’s interest in making Greenland part of the U.S. is well-known, but the island’s leaders have made it clear—they’re not on board.
Greenland’s Prime Minister, Múte Egede, has had enough of the rhetoric and recently delivered a pointed three-word response to U.S. President Trump.
Greenland’s Largest Protest to Date
Over the weekend, massive protests erupted across Greenland in response to Donald Trump’s remarks about the U.S. potentially taking control of the island. Thousands of people gathered in the capital, Nuuk, marking what is being called the largest protest in Greenland’s history.
Given that Nuuk has a population of just 19,000, and Greenland’s total population is 57,000, this sizable turnout represents a significant proportion of the population.
“I’m overwhelmed by the tremendous turnout for the demonstration. I’ve never seen so many people at a protest before,” said Orla Joelsen, the organizer of the demonstration in Nuuk, to the local newspaper Sermitsiaq.
The protesters’ message was clear: “Enough is enough!” They also chanted, “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.” The protests expanded to Greenland’s second-largest city, Sisimiut, where demonstrators carried signs with slogans like “Yankee go home” and “We’re not for sale.”
Harsh Criticism of Trump
The criticism directed at Donald Trump during the protests was intense.
“He hasn’t shown good behavior. He only uses his media. After his visit, Donald Trump Jr. even said that Greenlanders love the U.S. We want to show that not all of us love the U.S. I hope we can show our identity and unity as a people, regardless of political affiliation,” said one protester.
Greenland’s acting Prime Minister, Múte B. Egede, who spearheaded the effort to unite party leaders, issued a joint statement on behalf of the country in response to Trump’s comments. He stated:
“Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale. We must not lose our long struggle for freedom.”
Múte B. Egede also took part in the weekend protests.
“It gives us strength, and it’s moving to see so many people showing unity in the country. It is completely unacceptable for the leader of another country to try to pressure our land. Unity is our strength,” he said.
Unity and Pride
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the leader of the liberal political party Demokraatit, which recently became the largest party after the parliamentary elections, also participated in the demonstration, standing side by side with Múte B. Egede.
“It’s very moving, and I feel proud. As Múte said, witnessing this gives us tremendous strength. We may have many different opinions on many issues, but on this one, we are all united,” said Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
This situation has sparked a heated debate, and it’s clear that the people of Greenland aren’t backing down anytime soon.
It will be fascinating to see how this unfolds, especially with so many voices standing firm on their sovereignty. What do you think—could this situation intensify even further?