When I said I was here to speak to people about Trump and his obsession with owning Greenland, the immigration officer nervously laughed and said “no comment” before wishing me luck.
A few people I spoke to gave a similar reaction, and there was even one lady who I approached for a vox pop who walked away, saying “I don’t want to speak about that man, ever!”.
Danes have been shocked, hurt and bewildered by Trump’s behaviour in recent weeks, and they have found more than one way to make their feelings known.
READ MORE: What I discovered on a trip to Denmark to talk about Donald Trump
One of the most striking demonstrations happened on Saturday, when Danish veterans and their supporters silently marched from Kastellet to the US Embassy.
Hundreds lined the streets for the #NoWords march to support those taking a stand against Trump after he said in an interview with Fox News that Nato forces who served alongside American troops in Afghanistan did so “a little off the front lines.”
Forty-four Danish soldiers were killed in Afghanistan – the highest per capita death toll among coalition forces.
Five minutes of silence were observed on the march’s arrival at the US Embassy – one for each of Denmark’s army, air force, navy, emergency management agency and police.
The organisation which arranged the demonstration – Danmarks Veteraner & Veteranstøtten – said “words cannot describe how much it hurts us that Denmark’s contributions and sacrifices in the fight for democracy, peace and freedom are being forgotten in the White House”.
The group added: “Words cannot explain how much it hurts us that the Trump Administration clearly disrespects the Kingdom of Denmark’s sovereignty and the Greenland people’s right to self-determination.”
Thankfully, some American supporters of the event announced to the crowd they did not back Trump and said he did not represent the “real America”, adding they would always remember the support allies had given them.
The demonstration was an emotional one that showed Trump had performed the ultimate betrayal of disrespecting those who had lost their lives for his country.
Protesters have got creative with signs (Image: NQ)
Danes – who have on so many occasions stood by the US – have now lost a huge amount of respect for the US, and many feel it will now be hard for the US to claw it back. A truly staggering turn of events.
There have also been some more tongue-in-cheek methods of protest, though their message has been equally powerful and serious.
Eight months ago, vintage clothing shop owner Jesper Rabe Tonnesen began selling red anti-Maga caps.
He had come across a movement called “Make America Go Away” after Trump returned to the White House for a second time and quickly began laying out his desire to control Greenland.
The caps didn’t take off straight away, but since the start of January, they have been flying out the door as more Danes seek a way to show their support for Greenland.
The caps are emblazoned with the phrase “Nu det Nuuk!” on the front, which is a play on words of the Danish phrase “nu det nok” which means “now it’s enough”. Tonnesen decided to swap “nok” for “Nuuk”, as a nod to the capital of Greenland.
On the side, there is a Greenland flag accompanied by “Make America Go Away”.
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Tonnesen told the Sunday National: “People want it all over the world now, even though it’s in Danish. When it went viral, we sold them all in two hours.”
Printed versions of the caps were handed out at a major demonstration held in Copenhagen earlier this month against the US annexation of Greenland, which attracted thousands.
Tonnesen went on: “I was frustrated at the world situation, so it was something I could do. I could make some caps and contribute and, especially with the one we printed, we see the films and pictures from the demonstration, and I can really see it worked.”
As Tonnesen was anxious that some from the Maga movement might try and make out Danes were supporting them instead of standing against them, other versions of the hat have now been made to ensure the strength of the message gets across.
Protesters were out in force in Copenhagen to support Greenland earlier this month (Image: Hasse Ferrold)
Those who don’t wish to buy the “Nu det Nuuk” cap can buy ones that say “Already Great” or “Not For Sale”.
“I was afraid that with this ‘nu det Nuuk’ there would be some from the Maga movement who would say they also like us and lie about what it was saying, so I thought I needed to do another one in English which said “Already Great” with the Greenland flag to be sure it was communicated to the international press,” Tonnesen said.
The profits from the hats are being donated to Greenlandic children’s charities.
The popularity of the hats is a sign of how Danes and Greenlanders have come closer together during this crisis, despite a troublesome history.
“I think the Danish people didn’t think so much about it [before] because we are living here [in Denmark] but in Greenland, it’s the daily life to think about ‘do we want to be part of Denmark or not?’ and there is a history that isn’t nice, but this support really helps Greenland people in a way because what I hear and feel is there is also a big-hearted nationality there, they are very open-minded,” said Tonnesen.
“To feel all the support from Denmark gave them something.”
While there are now more peaceful discussions taking place about how to improve Arctic security following an apparent climbdown from Trump, Tonnesen still believes Danes will continue to make their voices heard.
“I think there will be much more [protesting], it’s not finished yet,” he said.