Hundreds of protesters converged in Greenland on Thursday to demonstrate against the opening of a new U.S. consulate in the federal capital, Nuuk, which is bigger than the previous building.
From a small red house in the Greenland suburbs, the U.S. consulate relocated to a 30,000 square feet building on one of Nuuk’s busiest roads, to the chagrin of residents who have repeatedly voiced displeasure about U.S. presence on the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
Angry protesters said Mr Trump should learn that “no means no” and that they were unwilling to surrender their territory to the U.S. government.
“Our government already told Donald Trump and his administration that Greenland is not for sale,” Aqqalukkuluk Fontain, the organiser of the protest, told the BBC. “Our message is for the American people and to the rest of the world, that in a democratic world, no means no.”
The protest followed a visit from Louisiana governor and key Trump ally, Jeff Landry, who travelled to Greenland last week in what appeared to be an unwelcome visit ostensibly to discuss expanding American presence in the region.
Shouts of “Go away” reverberated outside the consulate where residents had gathered to snipe at guests in the consulate.
Some of the protesters carried placards with inscriptions like, ‘We don’t want your money’ and ‘Greenlanders know a MAGA Trojan horse when we see one’.
“The waves they are trying to create, and the propaganda they are pushing — people are not falling for it,” Mr Fontain said.
The U.S. ambassador to Denmark, Ken Howery, said the bee building signified progressive relations between the U.S. and Greenland.
“There is much to learn here, and much to look forward to as our partnership deepens and grows,” he said.
