A satirical stunt by German comedian Maxi Schafroth has sparked outrage in Greenland. According to T‑Online, the cabaret performer-who also works on NDR’s show “Extra 3”-tried to hoist a U‑S flag in front of a cultural centre in the capital, Nuuk, on Wednesday. A staff member of the centre stopped the attempt.
Greenlandic activist Orla Joelsen posted a video that was supposed to show the incident and wrote: “If you do not respect our values, why are you in Nuuk? Shame on you, you fool”. In a later post she clarified that the man was a German comedian who “tried to be funny by posing as a US government representative”. Joelsen said a complaint had been filed against Schafroth.
The North German Broadcasting Corporation confirmed on T‑Online’s request that filming was taking place. An NDR “Extra 3” crew member had indeed tried to raise a U‑S flag on a public square in Nuuk, and a fine was imposed on the spot. An NDR spokeswoman expressed regret if the impression had been that the satire was aimed at Greenland’s people.
An eyewitness reported that Schafroth had indeed impersonated a US government official. “He got frightened when he saw how much resistance there was” the witness said. Schafroth left the square quickly, having “caused a lot of chaos, especially in the tense political climate”. The day before, he had already caused confusion at Nuuk airport by announcing that US President Donald Trump had landed, an announcement that was actually met with cheers for a local youth football team.