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London NBA Crowd Cheers ‘Leave Greenland Alone’ Shout During U.S. Anthem

The viral interruption highlighted European resistance to President Trump’s tariff‑linked push to bring Greenland under U.S. control.

Overview

  • A spectator yelled the phrase during Vanessa Williams’s anthem performance at the O2 Arena, drawing cheers, applause and some boos, as she finished without stopping.
  • The moment preceded the Memphis Grizzlies’ 126–109 win over the Orlando Magic in the NBA’s first regular‑season game in London since 2019.
  • Trump has linked new tariffs on eight European countries to a deal for a “complete and total” U.S. purchase of Greenland, with rates set at 10% from Feb. 1 and rising to 25% on June 1 absent an agreement.
  • UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Greenland’s future is a matter for Greenlanders and Denmark, called tariffs on allies wrong, and pledged to raise the issue with Washington.
  • Protests in Greenland and Denmark and viral clips of the anthem interruption have intensified scrutiny of U.S. tactics without any negotiated change reported to date.