Danish emotions run high and silently in protest at US Embassy

A silent march moved through central Copenhagen on Saturday, as Danish veterans, families of the fallen, and supporters walked from Kastellet to the US Embassy - not to shout, but to be noticed.

There were no chants, no placards, and no speeches on the move. Just footsteps on winter streets. Some marchers wore medals. Others carried small Danish flags close to their chests. The tone was deliberate: respectful, restrained, and unmistakably angry.

The demonstration was triggered by an incident outside the US Embassy earlier this week, when 44 Danish flags placed in planters were removed and later returned. Each flag carried the name of a Danish soldier killed in Afghanistan. The embassy said it was following security policy, but the move hit a nerve - and fast.

To many veterans and relatives, the flags weren't decoration. They were reminders. Proof that Denmark paid a price alongside an ally, and that the names should never be treated like clutter.

"I came to support our Danish veterans because of Trump and the way he treats his so-called allies," said Brian, a demonstrator at the march. "He stomps all over us and enough is enough. First Greenland, now our Danish veterans. We can't stand it anymore."

That mix - remembrance and politics - ran through the crowd. Organizers say the flag removal raised painful questions about recognition and respect for those who served, especially for families still living with loss.

"Its not about me," said veteran Sean Teigen. "It's all the friends we lost down there. And the families that see that - that's why we're here.”

Organizers also linked the march to wider strains in US–Denmark relations, pointing to renewed talk from Donald Trump about US control of Greenland - an idea rejected by both Denmark and Greenland.

"We support Greenland's sovereignty and the Greenlanders' self-rule," said organizer Søren Kusen, speaking on behalf of a coalition of veteran groups and organisations.

At the embassy gates, the march ended the way it began: without noise, without drama - just five minutes of silence for Denmark's service members and for those who never came home.