Background Escalation Escalation of
Donald Trump's threats to invade or annex Greenland further damaged relations between the United States and Denmark when, in December 2025, he unilaterally appointed
Jeff Landry as "special envoy to Greenland". Landry subsequently stated that his objective was to make Greenland part of the US. In response, Danish Foreign Minister
Lars Løkke Rasmussen called Landry's statements "completely unacceptable" and urged every nation, including the United States, to respect Danish sovereignty over the island. Following the
2026 United States intervention in Venezuela, White House Deputy Chief of Staff
Stephen Miller asserted that the US has the right to take Greenland. His wife,
Katie Miller, published a map of Greenland covered in the US flag with the caption "SOON". The situation escalated on 6 January 2026, when Trump claimed that he was open to use military force to acquire Greenland if necessary. Despite resistance from the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, he ordered the
Joint Special Operations Command to prepare a possible plan to invade and annex the territory. On 12 January, Trump stated that the US would own Greenland "one way or another", Amid the escalation, and a diplomatic discussion between European and US envoys,
Operation Arctic Endurance, involving multiple
NATO members, was called upon by Denmark.
Preparation of the protest Following the escalation, multiple organizations, primarily Greenlandic, called upon citizens from Denmark to join the protest. One of the organizers, Uagut, stated that the goal of the "Hands off Greenland" protests was "to send a clear and unified message of respect for Greenland's democracy and fundamental human rights". Thousands indicated on social media that they would participate, with at least 900 people confirming their participation on the official
Facebook page for Greenland (approximately 1.6% of the territory's 56,000 residents). The rally in
Copenhagen was scheduled to start at 12:00
EST (11:00 GMT), while the rally in
Nuuk was scheduled for 16:00 WGT (15:00 GMT). After finding out of the protest,
Aaju Peter—a local lawyer and activist of
Iqaluit, the capital of the Canadian territory
Nunavut—organized a local protest in the city in support of the people of Greenland, whom he defined as "one people" when compared to the indigenous people living in Nunavut. The protest was scheduled for 10:00
EST (15:00 GMT).
Protests Canada Up to 70 people showed up to the protest in
Iqaluit despite the cold temperature, with the demographic of the protest being mixed between students, elderly and workers residing within the city.
Denmark The protest in
Copenhagen drew thousands of people to the streets, while other protests occurred spontaneously throughout mainland Denmark, Prime Minister
Mette Frederiksen also stated that it was "lovely" to see the unity of the protest. Estimates suggest that up to 20,000 people attended the Copenhagen rally. The prime minister of Greenland,
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, was among those there. == Symbols ==