‘Make America Go Away’: Thousands protest on streets of Greenland, Denmark over Trump’s threats – SEE PICS

Thousands of people took to the streets of Greenland’s Nuuk and Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, on Saturday (Jan 17) to protest against US President Donald Trump’s threats on Greenland. In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly expressed plans to take over the Danish autonomous territory, even suggesting a possible military action in the Arctic territory.

Demonstrators also gathered in several other Danish cities as they waved their national flags and chanted slogans like “Kalaallit Nunaat!” – the Arctic island’s name in Greenlandic.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen was also seen participating in the protest as he waved the country’s flag and sang traditional Inuit songs under light rain along with the demonstrators.

Several of the protestors wore caps with a sign reading “Make America Go Away” – a riff on Trump’s Make America Great Again brand as they rejected Trump’s push to annex the territory. The protestors were demanding respect for their country’s right to self-determination, adding that they “cannot be bullied by an ally”.

Some protesters also held signs reading “USA already has too much ICE,” referring to Trump’s deployment of federal immigration officers in US cities, which has triggered outrage by residents, especially after two shooting incidents in Minnesota. Some protestors also chanted “Greenland is not for sale.”

On Saturday (Jan 17), tension between the Trump administration and NATO allies heightened after the US president announced imposing a 10 per cent tariff on Greenland’s allies, including Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland. Trump also warned that the tariffs, which will be levied from February 1, will be increased to 25 per cent on June 1.

“This Tariff will be due and payable until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social. “These Countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable. Therefore, it is imperative that, in order to protect Global Peace and Security, strong measures be taken so that this potentially perilous situation ends quickly, and without question.”

While Denmark called the move a “surprise”, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Trump’s imposition of tariffs over Greenland was “completely wrong”. French President Emmanuel Macron said that “Tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context,” while Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told AFP that “We won’t let ourselves be intimidated.” In a statement, European Union leaders said the bloc “stands in full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland.”