Between 8,000 and 10,000 people took part in an emotional silent march in Copenhagen on Saturday, organised by Denmark’s Veterans’ Association, to protest comments by US President Donald Trump that were seen as downplaying the role of non-US NATO troops in Afghanistan.
The association had expected just over a thousand participants, but Danes turned out in large numbers despite subzero temperatures, marching in support of veterans and in memory of the 44 Danish soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan. Police told AFP they estimated the crowd was “at least 10,000,” while organisers put the figure at between 8,000 and 10,000.
Trump sparked outrage in Denmark and across Europe on January 22 when he said European NATO troops had “stayed a little back, a little off the front lines” during the 20-year conflict in Afghanistan. Denmark fought alongside US forces not only in Afghanistan, but also during the Gulf War and in Iraq.
The march began at Copenhagen’s Kastellet, where a short ceremony was held at the monument to fallen soldiers before participants proceeded silently toward the US embassy, about two kilometres away.
“The demonstration is called #NoWords because that really describes how we feel. We have no words,” the association’s vice president, Soren Knudsen, told AFP. “Obviously, we also want to tell Americans that what Trump said is an insult to us and the values that we defended together.”
Some demonstrators carried red-and-white Danish flags, while others wore military uniforms. The procession remained completely silent, with no chanting or slogans. Many participants appeared sombre, and some were visibly emotional.
“We’re very happy that so many people turned out,” Knudsen said outside the US embassy, noting that veterans from the United States and other European countries had also joined the march.
“What Trump said was very insulting,” said Henning Andersen, a 64-year-old who served as a Danish UN soldier in Cyprus. “I have friends who were down there. Some of them were wounded, and they carry the war with them even today. He’s saying things he doesn’t know the full truth about.”
A 58-year-old member of Denmark’s home guard, who identified herself only as Orum, also condemned the remarks. “How can he even say that? It’s insulting,” she said, dressed in khaki fatigues and a green beret.
At the front of the march, protesters carried a large red banner reading “NoWords,” while others held hand-drawn placards. One read, “Trump is so dumb,” and another, held by a child, said, “Say sorry, Trump.”
Earlier in the week, 44 Danish flags bearing the names of the soldiers killed in Afghanistan were placed in planters outside the US embassy in response to Trump’s comments. The embassy initially removed the flags, later apologising and replacing them.
“We have nothing but the deepest respect for Danish veterans and the sacrifices Danish soldiers have made for our shared security. There was no ill intent behind the removal of the flags,” the embassy said in a Facebook post, adding that the planters were embassy property and that the original placement of the flags had not been coordinated.
On Friday, January 30, the US ambassador placed 44 Danish flags in the flowerbeds. On Saturday, January 31, 52 additional flags were added, with names inscribed on them, 44 for those killed in Afghanistan and eight for Danish soldiers who died in Iraq. A minute of silence was also observed outside the embassy, and one participant laid a wreath of red and white flowers.
Denmark has long described the United States as its “closest ally” and remains a strong partner, despite recent tensions over Trump’s expressed interest in Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory.