Hands off Greenland protests
The Hands off Greenland protests have occurred in numerous cities across Greenland and metropolitan Denmark on 17 January 2026. Organized in response to the Greenland crisis caused by US president Donald Trump's threats to annex Greenland, they represent the largest protests ever held in Greenland.
The protests prominently featured the slogan "Greenland is not for sale". Other slogans included "Yankee, Go Home" and "Make America Go Away". Red hats with the slogan "Make America Go Away" soared in popularity in response to the protests, becoming a symbol of anti-Trump defiance.
History
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 ownership 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", which drew widespread condemnation.
The situation escalated on 6 January 2026, when Trump claimed that he was open to use the military as to take over Greenland if necessary. Despite resistance from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he ordered the Joint Special Operations Command to prepare a possible military plan to take Greenland by force. On 12 January 2026, Trump stated that the US would own Greenland "one way or another", with Trump officials threatening to "take action" the following day, stating that the US could do so "within weeks". Amid the escalation, and a diplomatic discussion between European and US envoys, Operation Arctic Endurance was called upon by Denmark as a consequence of such escalation, involving multiple NATO members.
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. The rally in Copenhagen was scheduled to start at 12:00 EST, while the rally in Nuuk was scheduled on 16:00 WGT. The organizing bodies included UAGUT, "Hands Off Kalaallit Nunaat", the "Inuit organization", and the NGO Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke.
A local lawyer and activist of Iqaluit named Aaju Peter, after finding out of the protest, 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.
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. The protest was spontaneous.Denmark
The Danish protest in Copenhagen drew thousands of people to the streets, while other protests occurred spontaneously throughout mainland Denmark, in cities such as Aarhus, Aalborg and Odense. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also expressed support for the protest and commented on how "lovely" it was seeing the unity of the protest. Estimates suggest that up to 20,000 people attended the Copenhagen rally.Greenland
The prime minister of Greenland Jens-Frederik Nielsen attended the protests in Greenland and cheered. Participation was estimated at 5,000 people, around 25% of Nuuk's population attending, making it the largest protest in Greenland's history.Symbols
The protests featured numerous symbols, including the flag of Denmark and the Erfalasorput flag. The flag of the Kalmar Union was also seen in the protests. The protesters were observed chanting "Kalaallit Nunaat" during the protests in Copenhagen and displayed slogans such as "Greenland is not for sale", "Yankee, Go Home", "Greenland for the Greenlanders", "USA already has too much ICE", as well as the name of the protest, "Hands off Greenland". The slogan "Make America Go Away" was also seen.Hats parodying MAGA hats by replacing it with "Make America Go Away", one of the slogans during the protests, and the slogan "Nu det NUUK!" were sold out multiple times in less than a day in the days following the protest. Following the protests, these hats have become a popular and widespread anti-American and anti-Trump symbol in Denmark and in Greenland. Some caps also read "No Means No" and "Make America Smart Again". They were also popular outside of Greenland and Denmark, and despite selling out in these markets, an even higher number of hats were actually purchased in America itself as an anti-establishment symbol.
Consequences
The protests coincided with a visit to Copenhagen by a bipartisan delegation from the US Congress, leading delegation leader Chris Coons to issue a statement in support of the protests and in support of Denmark and Greenland's sovereignty.A 70 year old ex-judge from Nuuk called Jens Kjeldsen started to stage and organize daily solo protests in the early morning in front of the local U.S. consulate every day since the Hands off Greenland protests.
In the aftermath of the protests held in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada, the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut based in the city raised the flag of Greenland in front of its building as a sign of support in an organized demonstrative event assisted by dozens of local people. Politicians that decided to participate in this demonstration of solidarity included John Main, Navarana Beveridge and David Joanasie.
The Scottish Green party started a petition as to prohibit the use of Scotland as a possible base for military interventions in the arctic dubbed "Hands off Greenland" after the protests.
A protest on 31 January 2026 organized by the Manitobans for Greenland grassroot organization and the Winnipeg wing of the Canadian Peace Alliance is scheduled to take place in Winnipeg, Canada, under the same name, "Hands off Greenland". A protest under the same name and on the same date is scheduled to also happen in Solvang, California, which is also known as the "Danish capital of America" due to its demographics.