Protesters in Greenland demonstrated on Saturday against US President Donald Trump`s demand that the Arctic island be ceded to the US and called for it to be left to determine its own future.

In the capital of Nuuk, hundreds of protesters, led by Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, carried flags and banners as they headed for the US consulate.

They passed a newly built block where Washington plans to move its consulate, currently a red wooden building with four staff members.

Trump says Greenland is vital to US security because of its strategic location and large mineral deposits, and has not ruled out using force to take it. European nations this week sent military personnel to the island at Denmark`s request.

Trump`s repeated statements about the island have triggered a diplomatic crisis between the US and Denmark, both founding members of the NATO military alliance, and have been widely condemned in Europe.

The territory of 57,000 people, governed for centuries from Copenhagen, has carved out significant autonomy since 1979 but remains part of Denmark, which controls defence and foreign policy, and funds much of the administration.