A heckler drew applause at an NBA game after they yelled “Leave Greenland alone!” during the national anthem.
The interruption came as Vanessa Williams performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” ahead of the game between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Orlando Magic in London’s O2 Arena.
Midway through the song, a heckler shouted, “Leave Greenland alone!” The outburst prompted scattered laughter and cheers from spectators. The crowd included a host of soccer stars and celebrities. Williams did not react and finished the anthem without pause.
The protest landed against the backdrop of President Donald Trump’s escalating rhetoric about Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark, which is a NATO ally. Trump has repeatedly insisted the U.S. should control the Arctic island.
After being snubbed for the Nobel Peace Prize, Trump even declared that he “no longer feel[s] an obligation to think purely of Peace.” He said that in a letter sent to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, according to Bloomberg.
In the petulant letter, he repeated his claim that “Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China,” and questioned why the European nation has a “right of ownership.”
“The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland,” he added.
His past comments on the matter have triggered sharp condemnation across Europe, with leaders warning that the president’s demands risk splintering the military alliance.
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement reaffirming their support for “the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
But Trump has further unnerved allies by threatening punitive tariffs against countries opposing a U.S. takeover. In a post on his social media platform, he said levies would begin at 10 percent on February 1 and could climb to 25 percent by June if opponents failed to “capitulate.”
European governments responded by rejecting the threats and emphasizing unity. “Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral,” the statement said, adding that the nations stood “in full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland.”
