Protesters break into Microsoft data centre site in Amsterdam

Data centres face protests across Europe due to the massive amounts of computing power and water they use.Published On 6 Nov 20266 Nov 2026Protesters 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 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.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Musk makes light of defeats after record spend on Republican candidateslist 2 of 3Tech stock rout, driven by US AI fears, continues in Asian tradinglist 3 of 3Tanzania’s smallholder farmers struggle to benefit from digital agricultureend of listNathan Timmer, of the protest group Geef Tegengas – which translates as Push Back – told local broadcaster AT5 that demonstrators were occupying the site in an effort to stop construction.“We don’t want it to be built. Nobody needs it,” Timmer said. “The only thing this wi...