A tongue-in-cheek twist on United States President Donald Trump's trademark red baseball cap has become an unlikely symbol of Danish solidarity with Greenland, as protests intensify over Washington's demands to acquire the vast, self-governing Arctic territory.
The caps, designed to resemble the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) hats worn by Trump supporters, instead carry slogans such as "Make America Go Away" and "Already Great." Once slow to sell, they have surged in popularity amid mounting public anger over Trump's remarks.
"We only made one hundred to begin with," says store co-owner Michael (via Reuters, via The Guardian), who declined to give his surname. "When it went viral it was very, very popular."
One slogan, "Nu det NUUK," was devised by shop owner Jesper Rabe Tønnesen. It plays on the Danish phrase "Nu det nok", meaning "Now is enough", by replacing "nok" with "Nuuk," the capital of Greenland. "I thought, 'How can you communicate in an easy way while putting your foot down?'" Tønnesen says.
Tønnesen adds he distributed about 300 caps by cargo bike at a protest in Copenhagen on Saturday. Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Copenhagen and Nuuk over the weekend, chanting "Greenland is not for sale" and marching to United States diplomatic missions, many wearing the red protest hats. "People have an urge to get out there with a message," Tønnesen says. "We've just had enough and we're fed up, sad and tired."