Protesters Storm Microsoft Data Center Site Near Amsterdam

More than 100 protesters breached the fences and entered the construction site of a new Microsoft data center on the outskirts of Amsterdam.

The site is being built by British Pure Data Centres Group and will include three 85-meter towers with a total capacity of 78 megawatts, all leased to Microsoft.

The action was part of demonstrations organized by community and environmental groups including Dutch group Geef Tegengas and the Stop Dirty Data Centres coalition.

According to media reports and police, several activists climbed a crane and hung a banner opposing artificial intelligence. Protesters also displayed banners against Microsoft arms collaborations and chanted slogans in support of Palestine.

Police said at least one person was arrested and that items including an angle grinder and climbing equipment were seized.

Activists said about 400 people took part across different parts of the protests.

Amsterdam municipality had banned new data center construction until 2030, but the developers proceeded because the project's original plan dated to 2016, a circumstance activists say exploited a legal loophole.

Protesters say the complex would consume as much power as all households in Amsterdam. They and other campaigners argue that rapid expansion of AI data centers strains electricity grids, increases water use, and pushes up household energy costs.

Similar protests are planned or have taken place in the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Germany, Poland and Dublin. Voters in several US localities have recently approved strict limits on data center construction, campaigners say.

A Microsoft spokesperson said the company respects the right of people to express opinions peacefully and lawfully, but does not endorse illegal activity or actions that put workers or neighbors at risk.

Last month Microsoft canceled its planned largest data center project in the United Kingdom because of insufficient power. The company has also faced internal employee protests over military contracts and other issues, which led to the dismissal of some protesting staff.