Hundreds Danish veterans, many of whom fought alongside US troops in the Middle East, staged a silent protest Saturday outside the US embassy in Copenhagen in response to the Trump administration’s threats to take over Greenland and belittling their combat contributions.

“Denmark has always stood shoulder to shoulder with the USA — and we appeared in world crisis zones when the USA asked us to. We feel betrayed and mocked by the Trump administration, which deliberately ignores Denmark’s fight side by side with the USA,” the Danish Veterans & Veteran Support said in a statement.

“Words cannot describe how much it hurts us that Denmark’s contributions and sacrifices in the fight for democracy, peace and freedom are forgotten in the White House,” the statement said.

Danish veterans are furious at the White House’s rhetoric, which ignores Greenland’s right to self-determination, a territory of Denmark’s NATO ally. They also strongly oppose President Trump’s assertion that Denmark is incapable of protecting Western security interests in the Arctic.

On Saturday, the veterans first gathered at a memorial to honor fallen Danish servicemen, then marched to the nearby US embassy, ​​where they held a five-minute silence – one each for the Danish army, air force, navy, emergency services and police.

“We also want to tell the Americans that what Trump said is an insult to us and the values ​​we have defended together,” Soren Knudsen, vice president of the Danish Veterans Association, told Agence France-Presse.

He added that the organizers were pleasantly surprised by the support they received.

It all started within the association and grew into a big event, Knudsen said.

Danish combat veteran Martin Aaholm, who served in Afghanistan with American troops and lost both legs to an improvised explosive device, told CBS News earlier this week that she felt “angry and betrayed” by Mr Trump’s comments about Greenland and Denmark.

“I sacrificed a lot of friends, family, girlfriends, all because I was put on the path to help America after 9/11,” he said, adding that helping America was worth it. “I was amazed that we would answer the call, we little Denmark. I was amazed that we could fight with the big boys.”

“I think America has lost its soul. It’s not the America I grew up with, where America was a defender of peace in the world and wanted to spread democracy,” added Aaholm.

44 Danish soldiers were killed in Afghanistan, which is the highest number of deaths per capita among the coalition forces. Another eight died in Iraq.

Tensions flared further on Tuesday when embassy staff removed 44 Danish flags – one for each Danish soldier killed in Afghanistan – that had been placed outside the embassy.

The embassy apologized and dismissed them.

“We have nothing but the deepest respect for Danish veterans and the sacrifices Danish soldiers have made for our common security. There was no ill intent behind the removal of the flags,” he said in a post on his Facebook page.

The State Department later said that, as a general rule, guard personnel remove items left after demonstrations and other “legitimate exercises of free speech.” The flags were returned to those who left them, it is stated.