Protesters Enter Microsoft-Linked Data Centre Site in Amsterdam

Around 100 demonstrators entered a data centre construction site in Amsterdam’s Sloterdijk district, in a protest focused on the project’s expected energy use, housing implications and concerns about Microsoft’s activities.

Organisers said several hundred people took part in the action. Activists used ladders to get over the site’s perimeter fence and cut an opening to allow other protesters inside.

Some demonstrators climbed a construction crane and displayed a banner reading “Fuck AI”. Other protesters waved Palestinian flags and held signs accusing Microsoft of supporting genocide. The accusation appeared on protest signs and is not presented as an independently established fact.

Police intervention

Police surrounded the protesters before the mayor ordered the demonstration to end. Riot officers then intervened, and several arrests were reported. The source did not provide a figure for the number of people detained.

The protest was organised by Dutch activist collective Geef Tegengas, alongside a separate mobilisation by environmental campaign group Fossielvrij NL.

Data centre development

The project is being developed by Pure Data Centres for Microsoft. Plans call for three towers, each approximately 85 metres high, with an investment exceeding $1 billion.

Protesters claimed the completed facilities could consume as much electricity as all Amsterdam households combined. That claim has not been independently established.

Campaigners also object to the development’s expected electricity demand, its perceived impact on housing plans and Microsoft’s activities. The action formed part of an international campaign against large-scale data centres, with demonstrations planned across several European countries.

Pure Data Centres and Microsoft said they respected peaceful protest and urged demonstrators to avoid unlawful actions.