Activists Occupy Microsoft Data Center Site in Amsterdam as 15 Countries Protest

Protesters broke into the construction site of a new Microsoft data center in Amsterdam on Friday. Some climbed a crane and set off flares, and others clashed with police, according to ABC News and The Associated Press. The break-in was part of a wider wave of demonstrations against data centers, with organizers saying groups in 15 European countries would take part on Nov. 6-7.

Demonstrators are demanding a moratorium on large-scale data center developments, citing social and environmental concerns. Microsoft said it respects the right to protest peacefully but does not condone unlawful or unsafe actions.

What happened at the Amsterdam site

By late afternoon, police were escorting activists off the site, though local media reported that some people were still there. Pro-Palestinian activists also joined the demonstrations in the Dutch capital, AP reported.

Nathan Timmer of the group Geef Tegengas, which translates as Push Back, told local broadcaster AT5 that the protesters were occupying the site to stop construction.

What the protesters say

Timmer said the group opposes the project because it sees no need for it. “We don’t want it to be built. Nobody needs it,” he said. He argued the facility would serve purposes such as artificial intelligence, military use and surveillance, and said protests would continue until construction stops.

Owen Espley, coordinator of StopDirtyDataCentres.eu, said there is a wide gap between elected leaders who have embraced the hype around AI and the views of ordinary people. Dozens of civil society and grassroots groups have said they will join the “Stop Dirty Data Centres” events.

In Germany, about a dozen protesters gathered outside a data center on the outskirts of Berlin. Spokeswoman Caro Weber said the group wants to halt what she called blind construction of data centers across the country, regardless of environmental concerns, and described it as a danger to the future.

How Microsoft responded

A Microsoft spokesperson said the company was aware of the Amsterdam demonstration and understands that people feel strongly about the project. The company said it respects their right to express those views peacefully. It added that it does not condone actions that are unlawful or that put people’s safety at risk.

Microsoft did not say, in the statement reported by AP, whether the incident would affect construction.

The wider opposition and the money behind the boom

Opposition is also growing in Italy, particularly in the northern Lombardy region, the country’s main hub for digital infrastructure. Activists there argue that data centers for cloud computing and AI are being built faster than public consultation and environmental oversight can keep up.

On Oct. 10, more than 1,000 people and representatives of around 40 local committees gathered in Milan’s Piazza della Scala for what organizers called Italy’s first national demonstration against data centers. They called for a moratorium on new projects and a national strategy to govern the industry’s growth.

The industry is attracting large investment. According to PwC’s Global Data Centre Outlook 2026–50, Europe is projected to draw $5.6 trillion in cumulative data center capital spending from 2026 through 2050, around 18% of global investment. The same report forecasts $15.1 trillion for the U.S. over that period.

Why it matters: a clash over who decides where data centers go

The protests put a spotlight on how much computing power and water data centers use, and on whether local communities have a say in where they are built. Campaigners in several countries are asking for pauses and national rules before more facilities go up. Companies and investors, meanwhile, are planning spending on a scale measured in trillions of dollars.

The demonstrations came days after the U.S. midterm elections, which AP said brought in a wave of Democrats promising to clamp down on data centers. The resistance is not limited to one country or political system, AP noted.

What's next

Further protests and actions are expected on Saturday in several countries, including Ireland, Poland, Denmark, Finland, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, France and the U.K., organizers said. Timmer said the Amsterdam activists intend to keep protesting until construction is halted.

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