Greenlanders held a spirited protest on Thursday against the opening of a new American consulate building in downtown Nuuk, Greenland’s capital.
In line with President Trump’s fixation on Greenland, the United States has moved to a much bigger and more visible diplomatic post in Nuuk, part of an upgraded strategy to expand the American presence on the Arctic island.
But many Greenlanders don’t like it.
On Thursday, hundreds marched through Nuuk’s streets carrying signs reading “We don’t want your money” and “Greenlanders know a MAGA Trojan horse when we see one.”
As guests inside the consulate nibbled on musk ox hot dogs, demonstrators stood in the streets yelling, “Go away!”
The opening ceremony for the new building took place just days after President Trump’s special envoy to Greenland, Gov. Jeff Landry of Louisiana, made a ham-handed trip to Nuuk in which he offered chocolate chip cookies and red MAGA hats to people he met on the street. He didn’t get many takers, and Greenlandic officials criticized the visit.
The consulate’s expansion comes at a sensitive time for the United States’ relationship to Greenland, a semiautonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Confidential talks are unfolding in Washington in which the Trump administration is pushing for a much bigger role in Greenland’s economic and security affairs. Though Mr. Trump has backed down on his threats to seize the island by force, American officials say he is still deeply interested in Greenland.
That interest doesn’t seem to be mutual.
Aqqalukkuluk Fontain, a Greenlandic account manager who organized the demonstration on Thursday, called the recent flurry of American activity “tone deaf.”
“The waves they are trying to create, and the propaganda they are pushing — people are not falling for it,” he said.
The American military is also expanding its presence in Greenland, gearing up to bring more troops to the island.
During World War II and the Cold War, the United States stationed thousands of troops in Greenland. All the bases save one eventually closed down.
But American officials say that Arctic security is a new priority, especially as climate change makes the whole region more accessible. In the past few weeks, American officials have begun to visit old bases with an eye toward reopening some.
The United States has had on-again, off-again diplomatic representation in Greenland. In 2020, it reopened a consulate in Nuuk, operating from a little red house on the outskirts of town. The new space — 30,000 square feet in a modern building along one of Nuuk’s busiest roads — is a much more prominent presence.
American officials declined to comment on how many diplomats would work in the new building. Two full-time diplomats worked in the old one.
During the ceremonies inside the consulate on Thursday, guests were served lamb sliders, chicken waffles and other snacks. The new space was festooned with U.S. flags, red, white and blue candles, and posters describing the history of Americans in Greenland. Beyond the event room, much of the consulate appeared empty and unfinished.
“These are interesting times, as we all know,” the consul, Susan A. Wilson, said in a speech, emphasizing what she described as the importance of “human-to-human connections.”
The U.S. ambassador to Denmark, Ken Howery, framed the expansion as part of a broader American-Greenlandic relationship. “There is much to learn here, and much to look forward to as our partnership deepens and grows,” he said.
Outside, protesters turned their backs on the consulate and stood for two minutes of silence. Then they resumed chanting for the Americans to go away.
“Look at how little signage there is showing that it’s a consulate,” said one protester, Nivi Christensen, a museum director in Nuuk. “The other consulates fly large flags outside and are proud of it. This feels different. It feels as though they are doing it in a sketchy way.”
Jeffrey Gettleman is an international correspondent based in London covering global events. He has worked for The Times for more than 20 years.
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