A European wave of protests against large data centres opens in Amsterdam with the occupation of a Microsoft site
The Stop Dirty Data Centres coalition wants construction of large data centres halted until governments draw up clearer rules.
More than a hundred activists on Friday forced their way onto the construction site of an AI data centre for Microsoft in Amsterdam. They climbed cranes, hung up balloons and danced, Reuters reports, and according to a photo caption one protester was detained. According to Tom's Hardware, Amsterdam was the first of 85 planned actions in Europe, spread over sixteen countries and the whole weekend.
There were also protests in Dublin, outside parliament in Warsaw and at another Microsoft data centre in Denmark. The Stop Dirty Data Centres coalition is calling for an immediate pause on large new data centres in Europe until clearer rules are in place. It says it is not against progress and is not demanding the closure of existing centres, but points to energy bills, water shortages, competition with housing, climate targets and the power of big companies.
Microsoft says it understands that people feel strongly about the project and respects the right to peaceful protest, but does not condone unlawful actions. Owner Pure Data Centres, which plans to invest more than a billion dollars there, asked those present to leave the site safely and enter into dialogue.