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Protesters break into Microsoft data center site in Amsterdam
Around 100 protesters entered the construction site of a new Microsoft data centre on the outskirts of Amsterdam, with some climbing a crane to display an anti-AI banner. The protest, organised with the Geef Tegengas group, adds to growing opposition to data centre expansion and to Microsoft’s work connected by protesters to Israel’s war in Gaza.
The project comprises three towers, each 85 metres high, and Microsoft is set to be the sole tenant. It is proceeding under plans dating to 2016, despite Amsterdam’s 2024 ban on new data centres until 2030; the site’s developer, British firm Pure Data Centres, navigated loopholes to reach construction. The demonstration follows other protests in Europe and comes amid local opposition to data centre development in the US and Microsoft’s decision last month to abandon a major UK project over power supply delays.
In short
- About 100 protesters entered the Amsterdam construction site.
- Microsoft is the planned sole tenant of three 85-metre towers.
- The project is proceeding despite Amsterdam’s data centre ban.
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The case for
Supporters of the project can argue that it is proceeding under plans approved in 2016 and that data centres provide infrastructure used by businesses and the public. They may also say that predictable planning rules matter: changing course after investment and construction have begun could undermine confidence in future development, while protest does not itself settle the merits of Microsoft’s work or the project’s local effects.
The case against
Opponents can argue that a project of this scale may place substantial demands on land, electricity and other local resources, so its costs and benefits deserve close scrutiny even if it predates the 2024 ban. They may view the route around that ban as frustrating the purpose of current policy, and see protest as a way to draw attention to concerns about data centre expansion and Microsoft’s activities connected, in their view, to the war in Gaza.