Protesters entered a Microsoft data center construction site in Amsterdam on Friday, climbing a crane and setting off flares, as Dutch police detained 150-200 people suspected of trespassing.
Protesters broke into a construction site for a new Microsoft data center in Amsterdam on Friday, with some climbing a crane and setting off flares while others clashed with police, according to the Associated Press.
Members of the protest group Geef Tegengas, which translates as Push Back, occupied the site in an effort to stop construction, Nathan Timmer told local broadcaster AT5.
"We don’t want it to be built. Nobody needs it," Timmer said. "The only thing this will be used for is AI slop. AI warfare, data surveillance and committing genocides. We don’t want that," he added, vowing to continue protesting until construction is halted.
Pro-Palestinian activists also joined the demonstrations in the Dutch capital. By late afternoon police were escorting activists off the construction site, though some still remained, local media reported.
Dutch police said Friday evening that they detained 150-200 people suspected of trespassing during the protest.
Microsoft said it was aware of the Amsterdam demonstration. "We understand that people feel strongly about the project, and we respect their right to express those views peacefully," a spokesperson said. "However, we do not condone any actions that are unlawful or that put people’s safety at risk."
Campaigners against data centers in Europe are expected to stage protests and other actions in several countries on Friday and Saturday, demanding a moratorium on large-scale developments to address social and environmental concerns around the energy-hungry behemoths.
Dozens of civil society and grassroots groups have said they will join the "Stop Dirty Data Centres" events on Friday and Saturday in 15 European countries, including Ireland, Poland, Denmark, Finland, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, France and the U.K., organizers said.
In Germany, a dozen protesters gathered in front of a data center on the outskirts of Berlin on Friday. "We want to put a stop to this blind construction of data centers around Germany, regardless of any environmental concerns," said the protest spokeswoman Caro Weber. "This is really, really dangerous for our future."
Around 100 people also protested against data centers in front of the Polish parliament on Friday, representing communities around Warsaw where new centers are planned.
The Amsterdam protest is part of a growing anti-data center movement sweeping Europe. Activists argue that the boom in facilities serving cloud computing and artificial intelligence is moving faster than public consultation and environmental oversight. Europe is projected to attract $5.6 trillion in cumulative data center capital expenditure from 2026 through 2050, accounting for around 18% of global investment, according to PwC’s Global Data Centre Outlook 2026–50.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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