The United States launched its new consulate in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, this Thursday in an event marked by a large protest in front of the building. Hundreds of island residents gathered at the doors of the legation to show their rejection of the interventionist rhetoric of US President Donald Trump.
At the consulate's inauguration ceremony, which no member of the Greenlandic Executive attended, the US Ambassador to Denmark, Ken Howery, spoke. During his speech, he emphasized that the political future of Greenland is solely for Greenlanders to decide.
While the official event was taking place, protesters positioned themselves in front of the new building's entrance and chanted slogans such as "Go home, America." At the same time, they unfurled Greenlandic flags and banners against the Republican tycoon, all under a large police presence intended to maintain order and security.
The US Administration has opted to move its consulate from smaller premises located in the port area to a larger headquarters in the city center. The new building has approximately 3,000 square meters spread over three floors, according to the newspaper "Sermitsiaq."
The Prime Minister of Greenland, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, informed Washington's special envoy, Jeff Landry, this week that the island is not for sale during a meeting he described as "constructive," although he took the opportunity to make his "red lines" clear.
Landry, who serves as Governor of Louisiana, arrived in Nuuk on Sunday accompanied by a small delegation with the aim of attending a business conference on the future of Greenland, coinciding with the official opening of the new US consulate.