“Raising the flag of a military superpower that has been implying military force against our country at our capital’s cultural centre is not a joke. It is not funny. It is immensely harmful,” stated Avaaraq Olsen, the Mayor of the Sermersooq district.
The Mayor of Nuuk has called on media professionals and content creators to act responsibly following a German comedian’s failed attempt to hoist the United States flag in the capital, an incident currently being reported by The Guardian.
Maxi Schafroth, a 41-year-old Bavarian comedian, tried to raise the Stars and Stripes on a flagpole near the Katuaq Cultural Centre in Nuuk. He was quickly confronted by angry passersby.
According to an Agence France-Presse journalist at the scene, Schafroth initially claimed to be a US official before leaving under the disapproving gaze of locals. Local media later reported that Schafroth was turned in to the police and fined for the stunt.
A “Harmful” Stunt in a Vulnerable Climate
Avaaraq Olsen, the Mayor of the Sermersooq district, expressed her outrage in a formal statement regarding the stunt.
“Raising the flag of a military superpower that has been implying military force against our country at our capital’s cultural centre is not a joke. It is not funny. It is immensely harmful,” Olsen stated.
As noted in the report by The Guardian, the Mayor highlighted that Greenlanders, particularly children, are experiencing genuine fear due to the current geopolitical climate.
The Impact of Global Politics on Local Safety
Olsen urged creators to consider the human cost of their “stunts”.
“Pause before you film. Think before you stage something ‘funny’. Consider whether your next stunt will inform the world or simply make a child cry or a family feel less safe in their own country.”
While Trump has since backtracked on the threat of using force and begun talks with Copenhagen and Nuuk, the initial rhetoric has triggered a significant diplomatic crisis.
Schafroth is well-known in Germany for his work on the satirical programme Extra Drei. Following the incident, the channel expressed its regrets in a statement to Der Spiegel and the Ritzau agency.
