More than 100 activists from the Dutch direct action group Geef Tegengas broke into a Microsoft data center construction site in Westpoort Amsterdam on Friday. During the incident, protesters clashed with police, climbed a crane, lit flares, and tied helium balloons to equipment. This action was part of wider coordinated protests taking place across 16 European countries over the weekend to demand a pause in data center construction.
Campaigners are voicing concerns over the social and environmental harms of the AI boom. Protesters argue that these facilities threaten climate goals, power grids, and water supplies due to the massive amounts of computing power and water required. One protester, Nathan Timmer, stated that such centers would be used for AI slop, AI warfare, data surveillance, and committing genocides.
These demonstrations follow US midterm elections that brought in a wave of Democrats promising to clamp down on data centers and calling for tighter regulation, a concern shared across Europe. In response to the unrest, site owner Pure Data Centres stated it remains committed to engagement with local stakeholders.