German comedian Maxi Schafroth was confronted by Greenlanders while trying to raise the U.S. flag. Photo by Ina FASSBENDER /AFPArticle content
The mayor of Greenland’s capital on Thursday called on media professionals and content creators to act responsibly after a failed attempt by a German comedian to hoist the U.S. flag.
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Bavarian comedian Maxi Schafroth, 41, attempted to run up the Stars and Stripes on a flagpole near the cultural centre in Nuuk, before he was confronted by angry passers-by.
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When questioned, he claimed to be a U.S. official before leaving to disapproving looks from locals, according to an AFP journalist at the scene.
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He was reported to the police and fined, local media said.
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Avaaraq Olsen, mayor of Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq district which includes the capital, was outraged.
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“Raising a flag at our capital cultural centre, the flag of a military superpower that for weeks has been implying military force against our country, is not a joke,” she said in a statement.
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“It is not funny. It is immensely harmful.”
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Olsen said Greenlanders, particularly children, were worried and afraid about the current situation.
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“When you amplify those fears for content, clicks or laughs, you are not being bold or creative,” she said.
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“You are adding to the distress of an already vulnerable population… So, pause before you film. Think before you stage something ‘funny.’
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“Consider whether your next question or stunt will inform the world or simply make a child cry or a family feel less safe in their own country.”
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Greenland’s government is working to alleviate the stress and anxiety of the population caused by U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to seize the Arctic territory.
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Schafroth is known in Germany for his involvement in the satirical programme “Extra Drei,” broadcast by the NDR channel and attracting more than one million viewers.
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In a statement to Germany’s Der Spiegel and the Ritzau agency, the channel expressed its “regrets” after the incident.
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Trump’s long-standing territorial designs on Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, have triggered the most serious crisis in NATO’s history since it was formed in 1949.
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He has since backtracked on a threat of using force to acquire Greenland and begun talks with Copenhagen and Nuuk.
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