technology ·
Protesters storm Microsoft AI data center construction site
A Microsoft data center under construction in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, has been overrun by about a hundred protesters, with some carrying placards saying, “Screw your data center.”
According to Reuters, the “Stop Dirty Data Centers” coalition is planning actions across 16 countries on November 6 and 7, 2026, including Amsterdam, Dublin, Warsaw, and another Microsoft site in Denmark. The report also quoted Microsoft saying that it understood the strong feeling that people have and respected their right to peaceful expression but says that it does not condone any unlawful action. "On 6-7 November 2026 we are taking action across Europe to say Stop Dirty Data Centres," the group's website reads.
"Local communities are rising up to stop dirty data centres where they live. We will unite and exercise our democratic rights to speak out, assemble, and protest to hold elected officials to account. We’re calling for an immediate moratorium on large data centres in Europe!"
