“Are you American?”
“Yes…” I hesitantly replied.
“Thank you for being here,” the woman said with a warm smile, and a wave of relief washed over me.
Like thousands of others, I felt compelled to participate in the ”Hands off Greenland” demonstration in Copenhagen on January 17. This was my first time engaging in a rally of this sort in Denmark.
As an American, the recent news cycle has been particularly horrifying to me, especially watching the leader of my home country forcefully pushing the idea of taking over Greenland, “one way or another,” as though it were an easily acquired product, and not a people with a unique history and culture.
It had come to a point where I could no longer sit on my feelings of helplessness and rage. I knew that I needed an outlet that was peaceful and productive. Remaining silent would have felt too much like being complicit. So, when I learned about the demonstration, I knew that I had to go. As an American who’s called Denmark my home for a decade, I needed to show my support.
My husband and I agreed to participate together, and we gave our teenagers, ages 15 and 13, the option of joining us. Their first question was, “Is the rally anti-USA?” to which we assured them it was not. We explained that it is not unpatriotic to recognize that your own country is not perfect. If you believe in democracy and freedom, the most patriotic thing you can do is speak out when your leaders have crossed a line. We clarified that it was to protest a position we strongly disagreed with — then they were immediately on board.
Their decision to join us was a big deal. Both of my teenagers are autistic, so they get easily overstimulated by large crowds and overwhelmed around strangers. But they care deeply about justice and felt the importance of what this event signified.
The morning of the demonstration, the four of us bundled up in our warmest coats and scarves, loaded our homemade signs into our Skoda, and drove down to Copenhagen.
When we arrived, we stood on the outskirts of the crowd at first so our teens wouldn’t feel too overwhelmed. But to our amazement, they urged us to push deeper into the crowd so that they could be in the middle of what was happening. They were fully engaged.
It was exhilarating.
The tone of the demonstration was immensely positive and unifying. While acknowledging the concerning threats from abroad, the focus of the message was on support for Greenlandic culture, tradition, and keeping the strong bond between Greenland and Denmark. With declarations like “Today, we are all Greenlanders!” you couldn’t help but feel like you were a part of something bigger than yourself. At times, I had tears in my eyes as I absorbed the sheer enormity of the crowd and the significance of this moment.
Delegates from both Denmark and Greenland gave passionate speeches and musicians performed rousing pieces. Then, the crowd marched down to the U.S. Embassy — a vast sea of humanity that still managed to remain peaceful. I felt safe among all these strangers.
I came away from the “Hands off Greenland” rally with a sense that this was more than just a protest. I felt pride in being able to engage in a meaningful way.
Freedom of expression, respect, and equality are the bedrock of Danish society, as is community engagement. Even as an international, or should I say, especially as an international, it’s crucial to use our voices whenever we can to speak up for the issues we care about. Love of community is such a special part of being Danish. It’s both a privilege and a duty. It’s a seat at the table that should not be left empty.
And I find that when I show Danes that I care about what they care about, it strengthens that bond of trust.
We came away from the demonstration feeling energized, and our teens are already asking when the next one will be. Whenever that happens, the Lund family will stand together with the rest of Denmark!
