Protesters Target Microsoft Data Center Construction in Amsterdam

Protesters breached a construction site for a new Microsoft data center in Amsterdam on Friday. Some climbed a crane and set off flares, while others engaged with police.

Nathan Timmer from the protest group Geef Tegengas stated that the occupation aimed to halt construction. Protesters are demanding a moratorium on large-scale data center developments due to social and environmental concerns.

We don’t want it to be built. Nobody needs it. The only thing this will be used for is AI slop. AI warfare, data surveillance, and committing genocides. We don’t want that, Timmer said. He vowed to continue protesting until construction stops.

Pro-Palestinian activists joined the demonstrations. By late afternoon, police were escorting activists from the site, though some remained, according to local media.

Microsoft acknowledged the demonstration. A spokesperson said the company respects the right to express views peacefully but does not support unlawful actions or threats to safety.

The protests align with efforts by numerous civil society groups. Organizers describe plans for “Stop Dirty Data Centres” events across 15 European countries, including Ireland, Poland, Denmark, Finland, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, France, and the U.K.

Owen Espley of StopDirtyDataCentres.eu noted a disconnect between political leaders’ enthusiasm for AI and public sentiment.

In Germany, a dozen protesters gathered at a data center on Berlin’s outskirts. Caro Weber, a spokeswoman, emphasized the need to halt indiscriminate data center construction in Germany.

About 100 people protested near Poland’s parliament, complaining about new centers planned around Warsaw.

In Italy, the opposition has grown rapidly, particularly in Lombardy, the primary hub for digital infrastructure. On Oct. 10, over 1,000 people gathered in Milan to call for a national strategy on data center expansion.

Activists argue that data centers for cloud computing and AI are rising too quickly without sufficient public consultation and oversight.

PwC projects Europe will see $5.6 trillion in data center capital expenditure from 2026 to 2050, representing 18% of global investment. In contrast, the U.S. could see $15.1 trillion over the same period.