News / EU

'Hands off Greenland': Massive anti-US protests held in Denmark, Greenland

Saturday, 17 January 2026 2:47 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 17 January 2026 2:47 PM ]

Protesters take part in a rally in front of City Hall in Copenhagen, Denmark on January 17, 2026. (Photo by AFP)

Demonstrators have begun taking to the streets in Greenland and Denmark as part of massive rallies in protest of US President Donald Trump and his threats to take over the Arctic island.

Demonstrations organized by Greenlandic associations are planned across Denmark and Greenland for Saturday.

Uagut, an association of Greenlanders in Denmark, said on its website that the aim of the protests is "to send a clear and unified message of respect for Greenland's democracy and fundamental human rights.”

In the Danish capital of Copenhagen, people have begun gathering in front of City Hall to rally toward the US Embassy.

Protests are also planned in the Danish cities of Aarhus, Aalborg, and Odense.

According to Camilla Siezing, the chairwoman of the Inuit Association, people are protesting “against American statements and ambitions to annex Greenland.”

She said protesters “demand respect for the Danish Realm and for Greenland’s right to self-determination.”

In Greenland's capital, Nuuk, demonstrators are set to march to the US consulate carrying Greenlandic flags to protest “against the United States' illegal plans to take control of Greenland," organizers said.

Trump threatens to slap tariffs on countries opposed to US Greenland takeover

US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on countries that oppose the United States gaining control of Greenland.

On Friday, the US president threatened to impose tariffs on nations that do not comply with his plans to annex Greenland, a self-governing territory controlled by Denmark.

The White House said earlier this week that Trump has been discussing "a range of options" to seize Greenland, including the use of the military. It claimed that annexing the semi-autonomous territory of NATO member Denmark was a "national security priority."

Denmark warned that any attempt by the United States to seize the territory by force would effectively spell the end of the transatlantic military alliance and “post‑second‑world‑war security.”

The territory's position between Europe and North America makes it a key site for installing the US ballistic missile defense system.

Greenland also possesses vast untapped natural resources, including oil, gas, and rare earth minerals essential for modern technology and military industries, which, according to analysts, have fueled US interest in exerting control over the territory.

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