Protesters chanted "Greenland is not for sale" and held banners like "Stay away from Greenland" as they marched on 17/1. The demonstration began in front of Copenhagen City Hall before proceeding to the US embassy in Denmark. Participants also waved the island's red and white Erfalasorput flag.

Organizers and Danish police declined to provide specific figures, but thousands appeared to join the event.

Protesters gathered at Copenhagen City Hall square on 17/1. *Photo: AFP*

Julie Rademacher, president of a Greenlandic organization in Denmark, expressed gratitude for the widespread support. "I am grateful for the immense support for the people of Greenland. We are also sending a wake-up call to the world. Greenland and its people have inadvertently become a front in the struggle for democracy and human rights," she stated.

Camilla Siezing, president of the Union of Local Greenlandic Associations in Denmark, called on all parties to show "respect for Denmark and Greenland's right to self-determination."

Marches also occurred in many other locations across Denmark. A similar event was expected to begin in Nuuk, Greenland's capital, late on 17/1.

A view in front of Copenhagen City Hall on 17/1. *Photo: AFP*

Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, is the world's largest island. Located near North America, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean, it boasts a population of 57,000 and an area of about 2,16 million km2, which is larger than Mexico and more than three times the size of the US state of Texas.

The island lies on the shortest route from North America to Europe, making it a crucial strategic location for Washington. Greenland possesses abundant mineral resources, largely untapped.

President Donald Trump repeatedly affirmed the need to control Greenland for US national security, while also leaving open the possibility of using force to achieve this goal.

Some European countries subsequently announced troop deployments to Greenland in an effort to enhance the island's security. However, the White House stated that the European presence in Greenland does not affect US plans to control the territory.

Location of the US, Russia, and Greenland island. *Graphic: Britannica*

A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that only 17% of Americans approved of President Trump's attempt to acquire Greenland. A majority of Democratic and Republican voters opposed using force to annex the island. However, Trump criticized the poll, claiming it "fabricated data."

Hong Hanh (According to Reuters, AFP)