Amsterdam:Protesters broke into a construction site for a new Microsoft data centre in Amsterdam, with some climbing a crane and setting off flares, while others clashed with police amid growing opposition to large-scale data centre projects across Europe.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Nathan Timmer from the protest group Geef Tegengas, meaning Push Back, stated that demonstrators occupied the site to prevent further construction.
Activists across Europe have organized demonstrations and other actions, demanding a halt to large-scale data centre developments due to concerns about their environmental and social impacts, particularly their heavy consumption of electricity and water. Timmer argued that the facilities would support artificial intelligence, surveillance, and warfare, asserting, "We don't want it to be built. Nobody needs it."
Pro-Palestinian activists also joined the demonstration in Amsterdam. By late afternoon, police began removing protesters from the site, with Dutch police reporting they detained between 150 and 200 people on suspicion of trespassing. Microsoft acknowledged the protest, stating respect for peaceful protests but opposing unlawful activities that endangered public safety.
The Amsterdam protest is part of the "Stop Dirty Data Centres" campaign, involving grassroots and civil society organizations across 15 European countries. Protests have been reported in Germany and Poland, with activists calling for better environmental consideration and public consultation. In Italy, more than 1,000 people gathered in Milan demanding a moratorium on new data centre projects and a national strategy to regulate the industry's growth.
According to PwC's Global Data Centre Outlook 2026-50, Europe is projected to attract $5.6 trillion in cumulative data centre investment between 2026 and 2050, representing about 18% of global spending.