In a striking display of public sentiment, red baseball caps parodying former U.S. President Donald Trump's iconic MAGA headwear have emerged as a powerful symbol of resistance in Denmark and Greenland. The caps, which read "Make America Go Away," directly spoof Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan. This grassroots movement is a direct response to renewed U.S. rhetoric about potentially acquiring the vast, frozen autonomous territory of Greenland.
A Viral Symbol of Arctic Defiance
The satirical hats, created by Copenhagen vintage clothing store owner Jesper Rabe Tonnesen, 58, have exploded in popularity across social media and at public demonstrations. An early batch last year saw little interest, but demand surged dramatically recently as the Trump administration escalated its comments regarding Greenland. Tonnesen reported that sales went from a trickle to completely selling out over a single weekend, prompting him to order "several thousand" more to meet the unexpected demand.
"When a delegation from America went up to Greenland, we started to realize this probably wasn't a joke — it's not reality TV, it's actually reality," Tonnesen explained. He asked himself how he could communicate a serious message in a humorous way to unite Danes in support of Greenlanders.
Protests Unite Danes and Greenlanders
The caps became a central feature at a weekend protest held in freezing weather in front of Copenhagen City Hall. Demonstrators, waving the red-and-white flags of both Denmark and Greenland, carried handmade signs with messages like "No Means No" and "Make America Smart Again." The mood was described as lighthearted yet carried a serious core message of solidarity and sovereignty.
"I'm here to support the Greenlanders, who are going through a very hard time right now," said protester Kristian Boye, 49. "They are being threatened with having their country invaded. I think it's totally unacceptable." Another Copenhagen resident, 76-year-old Lars Hermansen, was clear about his motivations for wearing one of the red caps: "I want to show my support to Greenland and also show that I don't like the president of the United States."
European Allies Rally Behind Denmark
The burgeoning protest movement coincides with strong diplomatic support for Denmark from its European allies. Governments across the continent are rallying behind Copenhagen, emphasizing the need to defend Arctic regions and warning that threats against Greenland's status undermine Western security and stability. The territory, which is slightly larger than Saudi Arabia, holds significant strategic and environmental importance in the rapidly changing Arctic.
The original hat design by Tonnesen features a clever bilingual pun. On the front, it reads: "Nu det NUUK!" This is a twist on the Danish phrase "Nu det nok," meaning "Now it's enough," but substituting the word "nok" with "Nuuk," the name of Greenland's small capital city. This wordplay encapsulates the local sentiment of reaching a limit with outside political pressure, firmly rooting the protest in the identity of the Arctic territory at the heart of the controversy.
