Activists break into building site of Microsoft datacentre in Amsterdam

Protesters from Geef Tegengas, a Dutch direct action group, clashed with police while breaking into a construction site at Westpoort Amsterdam. Some activists climbed a crane, lit flares and tied helium balloons to equipment during the occupation.

The action comes amid Europe-wide resistance to the rapid expansion of energy-hungry AI, with more than 100 groups involved in a two-day series of protests demanding moratoria on new datacentre construction.

European Protests Spread

The Dutch break-in was separate from the pan-European "Stop Dirty Data Centres" campaign, which targeted the same site but whose affiliated members stayed outside the perimeter fence.

Smaller protests took place in Bristol, UK, at a datacentre in Berlin, Germany, outside the Polish parliament in Warsaw and at the main square in Zagreb, Croatia. Further protests are expected on Saturday.

The police reported that an officer was slightly injured during the protest. "The police attempted to prevent [the occupation] and arrest protesters, but were unable to prevent it and force was used," according to a police statement to NOS, a Dutch public broadcaster.

Growing Public Concern

Stop Dirty Data Centres, a coalition including national branches of Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, said it had not coordinated the direct action but understood communities' frustration. "Big tech and government are racing ahead with large-scale datacentre development despite significant public concern," said Owen Espley, campaign coordinator.

The ecological fallout of the datacentre boom has alarmed climate scientists, while frustration with AI's societal impact—from energy bills and job losses to tech companies' role in undermining democracy—has increased public anger.

In the US midterm elections this week, nearly every proposed moratorium on datacentres on the ballot was approved, reflecting similar concerns across the Atlantic.

Company Responses

A Microsoft spokesperson said the company was aware of the demonstration and prioritized everyone's safety. "We respect their right to express those views peacefully. However, we do not condone any actions that are unlawful or that put people's safety at risk."

Pure Data Centres, the site owner, condemned the occupation as unlawful and dangerous. "Our immediate priority is everyone's safety, and we respectfully ask those on site to leave safely and engage with us in dialogue."

Governments across Europe have supported building AI datacentres to boost tax revenues and catch up with computing power deployment in the US and China, framing the AI race as a matter of national security.