Every morning before sunrise in Nuuk, when the streets are still quiet and the sky is only beginning to lighten, Jens Kjeldsen turns up outside the small wooden US Consulate building with a simple but striking message. In the biting mid-winter cold, he stands with three flags, Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, protesting against President Donald Trump’s renewed push to bring Greenland under US control.Kjeldsen, a 70-year-old retiree, has become an unexpected face of resistance in Greenland’s capital. His protest is not loud or chaotic. It is deliberate, routine, and deeply symbolic. By showing up daily, before most people even begin their day, he is making the point that Greenland’s future cannot be decided by external pressure or political power games.
A quiet protest aimed at a big demand
Greenland, the world’s largest island with a small population, has once again been pulled into international headlines after Trump revived his long-running interest in the territory. He has framed Greenland as strategically vital for US security in the Arctic, at a time when global powers are paying increasing attention to the region.For Kjeldsen, that shift in rhetoric is exactly why he believes his daily presence outside the consulate matters. He has positioned his protest as a peaceful refusal to accept the idea that Greenland can be treated as an asset to be acquired.The flags Kjeldsen carries are central to the message. Greenland and the Faroe Islands are part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and the three flags together represent that political structure and shared sovereignty. Kjeldsen has repeatedly emphasised that the three parts of the kingdom are meant to stand as equals, not as territories to be bargained over or pressured into a new arrangement.By bringing all three flags, he is signalling unity while rejecting any suggestion that Greenland can be separated from its people’s will through outside political demands.
Growing tensions and public pushback
Trump’s Greenland rhetoric has added strain to Denmark’s relationship with Washington, raising fears of deeper disagreements among long-standing allies. For many in Greenland and Denmark, the issue is about more than territory. It is about national dignity, sovereignty, and the principle that political futures must be decided by the people who live there.In Nuuk, the protest mood has extended beyond one man. Wider demonstrations have taken place, with crowds gathering to show opposition to Trump’s claims and to reinforce the message that Greenland is not for sale.
A simple protest that keeps going
Kjeldsen’s protest stands out because of its simplicity. The setting is harsh, the cold is intense, and the hour is early. But he keeps coming back, turning his personal routine into a daily reminder that Greenland’s sovereignty is not a bargaining chip.In the pre-dawn darkness, with snow underfoot and flags moving in the wind, his message remains consistent and clear. Greenland’s identity and future belong to Greenlanders, not to foreign leaders looking for leverage or control.
