{"id":14245,"date":"2026-11-06T21:27:14","date_gmt":"2026-11-06T21:27:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=14245"},"modified":"2026-11-06T21:27:14","modified_gmt":"2026-11-06T21:27:14","slug":"protesters-break-into-microsoft-data-centre-site-in-amsterdam-protests-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=14245","title":{"rendered":"Protesters break into Microsoft data centre site in Amsterdam | Protests News"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Data centres face protests across Europe due to the massive amounts of computing power and water they use.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Published On 6 Nov 2026<\/span>6 Nov 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Protesters in the Netherlands have broken into a construction site for a new Microsoft data centre in Amsterdam, the latest action in a growing movement sweeping Europe.<\/p>\n

Several hundred activists occupied the site in the Sloterdijk district on Friday, responding to a call for a two-day protest across Europe against data centres, which handle the large processing workloads associated with artificial intelligence (AI). Demonstrators clashed with police as some climbed a crane and set off flares.<\/p>\n

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Nathan Timmer, of the protest group Geef Tegengas \u2013 which translates as Push Back \u2013 told local broadcaster AT5 that demonstrators were occupying the site in an effort to stop construction.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want it to be built. Nobody needs it,\u201d Timmer said. \u201cThe only thing this will be used for is AI slop. AI warfare, data surveillance and committing genocide. We don\u2019t want that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pro-Palestinian activists also joined the demonstrations in the Dutch capital. By late afternoon police were escorting activists off the construction site, though some remained, local media reported.<\/p>\n

Dutch police said they detained 150-200 people suspected of trespassing during the protest.<\/p>\n

Microsoft said it was aware of the Amsterdam demonstration.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe understand that people feel strongly about the project, and we respect their right to express those views peacefully,\u201d a spokesperson said. \u201cHowever, we do not condone any actions that are unlawful or that put people\u2019s safety at risk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Data centres face resistance around the world due to the massive amounts of computing power and water<\/a> they use. Activists argue that the boom in facilities serving cloud computing and AI is moving faster than public consultation and environmental oversight.<\/p>\n

Dozens of civil society and grassroots groups have said they will join the \u201cStop Dirty Data Centres\u201d events on Friday and Saturday in 15 European countries, including Ireland, Poland, Denmark, Finland, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom, organisers said.<\/p>\n

In Germany, a dozen protesters gathered in front of a data centre on the outskirts of Berlin on Friday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to put a stop to this blind construction of data centres around Germany, regardless of any environmental concerns,\u201d said protest spokeswoman Caro Weber. \u201cThis is really, really dangerous for our future.\u201d<\/p>\n

About 100 people also protested against data centres in front of the Polish parliament, representing communities around Warsaw where new centres are planned.<\/p>\n

In Italy, the fast-growing data centre industry is facing an equally rapid rise in grassroots opposition, particularly in the northern Lombardy region, the country\u2019s main hub for digital infrastructure.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Data centres face protests across Europe due to the massive amounts of computing power and water they use. Published On 6 Nov 20266 Nov 2026 Protesters in the Netherlands have broken into a construction site for a new Microsoft data centre in Amsterdam, the latest action in a growing movement sweeping Europe. Several hundred activists…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_templately_pack_id":"","_templately_imported_at":"","_templately_source":"","_templately_import_session_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14245","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-international-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t