Several hundred demonstrators protesting the construction of a Microsoft data center in Amsterdam have breached the construction site and clashed with Dutch police, with multiple arrests reported. The rally came as part of a broader campaign against energy-guzzling and water-intensive Big Tech infrastructure spanning multiple European countries.
On Friday, members of the Geef Tegengas group, along with pro-Palestinian demonstrators, used angle grinders to cut through the fencing surrounding the site in the Sloterdijk district, while others simply scaled it, as reported by Dutch media.
As many as 500 activists entered the restricted area at around noon, according to the organizers, where they set off flares, sprayed graffiti on surfaces, and climbed cranes and scaffolding to unfurl banners.
The activists are demanding a halt to the construction of the 78-megawatt complex, which includes three data center towers and is being developed by Pure Data Centres for Microsoft. Geef Tegengas cites concerns over the facility’s heavy electricity and water consumption and the negative consequences it would likely have for local residents.
Several hundred more people gathered outside the construction site as part of a separate demonstration organized by the Fossielvrij Nederland climate group.
Palestinian flags were flown during the protest, with “Microsoft powers genocide” and “Free Palestine, F**k Microsoft” among the slogans. One of the activists told the AT5 broadcaster that “energy-guzzling data centers are used for mass surveillance and violence. For instance, Microsoft hosts data from ICE and the IDF [Israel Defense Forces], among others.”
Riot police soon swarmed the area, deploying tear gas and batons to forcibly remove those refusing to vacate the construction site. Multiple people were detained for trespassing and bused away, according to local media. One of the officers sustained minor injuries in the scuffles, the authorities reported.
Microsoft said that while it understands the contentious nature of the project and respects people’s right to protest, “we do not condone actions that violate the law or endanger people’s safety.”
The demonstration in the Dutch capital came as part of a pan-European protest campaign under the motto “Stop Dirty Data Centres.” It unites more than 100 “civil society organizations and collectives deeply concerned about Europe’s technology trajectories and its plans to fast-track data centres,” with protests planned for November 6-7 in 16 countries, including the UK, Spain, Ireland, Poland, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, and France.
The campaigners are calling for an “immediate moratorium” on the construction of large-scale data centers in Europe “until social and environmental concerns are addressed.” The activists claim such infrastructure projects would compete with housing and local businesses for scarce water and electricity supplies. They also cite concerns over potential risks that artificial intelligence, powered by those data centers, may pose to the labor market and users’ mental health.
The Big Tech push to create more capacity for the booming AI industry in recent years has met with growing suspicion and backlash globally.
Back in July, New York became the first US state to impose a moratorium on the construction of data centers using 50 megawatts or more. The issue also became a point of contention in several races during the US midterm elections.
Last month, hundreds of people protested outside a large-scale data center complex on the Indonesian island of Batam, accusing it of depriving them of drinking water, which the facility uses for its cooling system.
In September, civil rights groups in South Africa likewise demanded a moratorium on the construction of data centers in the country.