Arctic Watch

Facts About the Arctic

    • Two Greenland flags and a sign reading 'Our land, our future' are displayed beside the Inussuk statue during a visit by U.S. Vice-President JD Vance in March 2025. Many Greenlanders are angry and frustrated over Donald Trump's recent musings that the U.S. needs to acquire their island. (Philip Crowther/The Associated Press)
    Habitat

    Protest Against US Control of Greenland Attracts Thousands in Nuuk

    Posted on

    As reported by the Associated Press on January 18, thousands of Greenlanders marched in protest against US President Donald Trump’s renewed push to acquire and control the island territory. Beginning in the downtown of Greenland’s capital of Nuuk, the demonstration drew nearly a quarter of the city’s population and ended in front of the US Consulate. Many Greenlanders held signs of protest, waved their national flag, and listened to traditional songs during the march. Similar rallies to show solidarity took place abroad, including in Denmark and Nunavut, the Inuit-governed territory in Canada. (AP News)

    The protest in Nuuk reinforces the message that Greenlanders do not want to be controlled by the United States and draws attention to the societal impacts of President Trump’s rhetoric about acquiring the island. As a former colony of Denmark, Greenland has experienced the atrocities of colonialism, and the US’ notion that the island can be purchased or acquired in some way only continues the historical legacy that pushes the will of Greenlanders aside. For many Greenlanders, the president’s recent interventions abroad and more aggressive stance towards the territory have raised alarm, exacerbating fear, anxiety, uncertainty, and feelings of being unsafe.

    Two Greenland flags and a sign reading 'Our land, our future' are displayed beside the Inussuk statue during a visit by U.S. Vice-President JD Vance in March 2025. Many Greenlanders are angry and frustrated over Donald Trump's recent musings that the U.S. needs to acquire their island. (Philip Crowther/The Associated Press)
    Two Greenland flags and a sign reading ‘Our land, our future’ are displayed beside the Inussuk statue during a visit by U.S. Vice-President JD Vance in March 2025. Many Greenlanders are angry and frustrated over Donald Trump’s recent musings that the U.S. needs to acquire their island. (Philip Crowther/The Associated Press)

    Thus, while the US has not taken direct action against Greenland yet, the president’s words and the ongoing crisis have serious consequences for Greenlandic society by inflicting emotional harm, undermining trust, and damaging the longstanding relations between the US and Greenland. The march in Nuuk, which is potentially the island’s largest protest, is a strong expression of outrage and defiance, and highlights the voice of Greenlanders. Rather than maintaining a harmful strategy of acquiring Greenland, the US should take an approach that respects the people of Greenland, builds credibility, and works to address the shared goals and concerns of both countries. (CBC News, CNBC, The Guardian)

    Source – https://www.thearcticinstitute.org/arctic-week-take-five-week-19-january-2026/

    LEAVE A RESPONSE

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Might Also Like