Protesters break into Microsoft data center construction site in Amsterdam

In brief

• Hundreds of protesters entered a Microsoft data center construction site in Amsterdam on Friday.
• Police said 150 to 200 people were detained for trespassing.
• The action was part of a two-day series of protests across Europe against new data centers.

Protesters enter the site

Hundreds of demonstrators pushed onto the Microsoft data center construction area in the Westpoort district of Amsterdam on Friday, climbing over temporary fencing to reach the grounds (Demonstranten besetzen Baustelle von Microsoft-Rechenzentrum in Amsterdam – DER SPIEGEL) (Activists break into building site of Microsoft datacentre in Amsterdam – The Guardian) (Anti-AI protesters break into Microsoft data center site in Amsterdam – Business Insider). Some protesters went up a crane, unfurled banners with anti-AI slogans and set off flares, while others tied helium balloons to equipment on site (Protesters break into Microsoft data center site in Amsterdam – The Verge). Reports describe a clash with police at the gates, where a demonstrator cut open a fence entrance from the rear (Протестувальники в Амстердамі увірвалися на будмайданчик дата-центру – Європейська правда).

Arrests and seized items

Police said 150 to 200 people were detained for trespassing, and that some of them were suspected of having taken material from the site. Officers reportedly seized material believed to have been taken from the site, and some protesters are suspected of having damaged property. All those detained were to be questioned. Police also confiscated items such as an angle grinder and climbing equipment from people heading to the demonstration. Local broadcaster AT5 reported that officers used pepper spray during the clashes and made several further arrests (Zamieszki na budowie centrum danych Microsoftu. Policja użyła gazu – Bankier.pl).

Who is behind the protest

The action was organized by Geef Tegengas, a Dutch direct-action collective. Its spokesperson said the group would not accept Amsterdam being used to build what it called AI slop and to facilitate genocide, and argued that the facility draws on drinking water. A separate climate and citizens' movement, Fossielvrij NL, demonstrated outside the fence. Banners at the site referred to Palestine and Microsoft's role in the Gaza conflict.

The project and the company's response

The data center is being built by Pure Data Centres Group, and Microsoft is its only tenant. The company said a group of protesters had entered the construction area early on Friday. A Microsoft representative said the company respected the right to peaceful expression but did not endorse actions that were illegal or endangered people's safety. Microsoft did not immediately respond to requests for comment from other outlets.

Wider European backlash

The Amsterdam action was one of more than 100 groups' protests across Europe over two days, calling for a moratorium on new data center construction (Amsterdam: Aktivisten besetzen Baustelle von Microsoft-Rechenzentrum – ZEIT ONLINE). Opposition in Amsterdam predates the protest: the city banned new data centers more than a year earlier.