Greenlanders march to US consulate in protest of Trump annexation plan
4 Min Read
The march comes amid Trump's comments violating Greenland's sovereignty, as he eyes the island located north of the United States for potential annexation.
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US President Donald Trump speaks during a ceremony with the Florida Panthers NHL hockey team to celebrate their 2024 Stanley Cup victory in the East Room of the White House, Monday, Feb. 3, 2025 (AP)
Greenlanders staged a march to the US consulate in their country on Saturday in protest of Trump's annexation remarks, which violated Greenland's sovereignty.
Gathering in the city center before marching toward the US consulate building on the outskirts of Nuuk, the protesters carried their national flag, chanted slogans expressing their anger and frustration, and held placards that read messages like “Stop threats and aggression” and “Don’t take over our country."
Mute Egede, acting head of the government of Greenland, and Jens Frederik Nielsen, leader of the Democrats, addressed the crowd, stating that Greenland belongs to Greenlanders as they rejected Trump’s proposal of annexation, describing it as “unacceptable".
A similar demonstration took place in the city of Sisimiut in northern Greenland, while demonstrators gathered outside the US consulate in Greenland's capital, singing the Greenlandic anthem “Nunarput Utoqqarsuanngoravit,” a song reflecting national pride and identity.
The chairmen of all five political parties with representation in the Greenland parliament, Inatsisartut, stated their rejection of Trump’s repeated remarks on annexation as the leaders of Demokraatit, Naleraq, Inuit Ataqatigiit, Siumut, and Atassut emphasized in a joint statement that his behavior was “unacceptable".
Trump says Greenland annexation inevitable, requests NATO help
US President Donald Trump urged NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte to support Washington’s efforts in “securing” Greenland during their meeting in the Oval Office on March 13, discussing the issue as part of their broader talks.
When asked by journalists on March 13 about the “potential annexation of Greenland,” Trump responded that he believed it would happen as he turned to the NATO chief and remarked that he hadn’t given it much thought before but was now sitting with someone who could play a key role.
Trump emphasized to Mark Rutte that securing Greenland was important for international security, pointing out the presence of various actors around its coasts and stressing the need for caution while indicating that further discussions would take place.
First proposing the purchase of the Danish autonomous territory in 2019, Trump has revived the idea since returning to office, stating during a recent joint session of Congress that the United States would secure the island “one way or the other.”
Greenland party that told Trump 'No' wins election with 29.9% of votes
Greenland’s center-right opposition party, which famously told US President Donald Trump that the country was "not for sale," won the country’s parliamentary elections on March 12, according to official results.
The Demokraatit party secured 29.9% of the vote, stripping the center-left's ruling coalition of its majority and positioning itself as a decisive force in Greenland’s political future.
Party leader Jens Frederik Nielsen, a former badminton champion, has been a vocal opponent of foreign interference, particularly in response to Trump’s repeated assertions that the US could purchase the Arctic island.
Demokraatit, which advocates for a gradual path to independence from Denmark, saw a significant rise in support, up from 9.1% in the previous election, while outperforming the nationalist Naleraq party, which favors a swift break from Danish rule.
The pro-independence Naleraq saw its support more than double to 24.5% of votes, placing it second behind Demokraatit. The two parties in the outgoing center-left coalition government came in third and fourth place.
"We respect the election result," outgoing Prime Minister Mute Egede, who leads the left-green Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA) party, told Greenland's public broadcaster KNR, while the leader of the Siumut party, IA's coalition partner, conceded defeat.
With no party securing a majority in Greenland’s 31-seat parliament, negotiations to form a coalition government will take place in the coming days.
The incoming government is expected to outline a timeline for Greenland’s independence, a goal supported by a significant majority of its 57,000 residents.
"The Democrats are open to talks with all parties and are seeking unity. Especially with what is going on in the world," said Nielsen, expressing his surprise by the party's victory.
"We didn't expect the election to have this outcome, we're very happy."
