“I burst with sympathy”: Björk encourages Greenlanders to fight for their independence with social media post
Björk weighed in on Greenland’s political future after President Donald Trump again floated the idea of annexing the island nation. While he made the threat previously, it resurfaced with renewed urgency during recent comments to reporters.
Icelandic musician Björk addressed the issue on Facebook, where she tied Trump’s comments to a longer history of colonial control. Although she focused on Greenland, she also pointed to Denmark’s role, drawing on Iceland’s own past.
Trump’s Greenland comments drew sharp criticism
Trump repeatedly suggested that the United States should take control of Greenland, citing defense interests. Recently, he told reporters that the U.S. "need[s] Greenland from the standpoint of national security," according to BBC News.
However, the comments were not well-received by Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen.
Nielsen called the idea "fantasy," and Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen rejected the suggestion outright, saying Trump had "no right to annex any of the three nations in the Danish kingdom."
Björk linked Greenland’s future to its colonial history
Björk heard the news about Trump's comments and shared a lengthy Facebook statement supporting Greenland’s independence. She wrote, "I wish all Greenlanders blessing in their fight for independence." The singer connected the issue to Iceland’s break from Denmark in 1944.
As she explained, "Icelanders are extremely relieved that they managed to break from the Danish in 1944, we didn´t [lose] our language ( my children would be speaking Danish now )."
She also referenced past abuses tied to Danish rule. For example, she mentioned reports of forced contraception imposed on Greenlandic girls. "I burst with sympathy for Greenlanders, repeatedly, especially like when the case came up about the forced contraception, where 4500 girls as young as 12 got IUD without their knowledge between 1966 and 1970," she wrote. She then shared a Guardian report detailing lawsuits from Greenlandic women.
She went on to say, ".... they are my age and younger ... childless .... and still today the Danish are treating Greenlanders like they are second-class humans." She linked to another Guardian article describing forced child removals from parents who failed "parenting competency" tests that the Danish government subjected them to.
She concluded with a warning about shifting power, saying that "colonialism has repeatedly given me horror chills up my back." She added that moving "from one cruel coloniser to another" felt unbearable.
Finally, she urged action directly, saying, "Dear Greenlanders, declare independence !!!! sympathetic wishes from your neighbours."
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