About 500 protesters entered the construction site of a planned Microsoft data center in Amsterdam on Friday, according to organizers, while several hundred more demonstrated outside the fence. The protest targeted a three-tower facility planned for the city’s Sloterdijk district.
Environmental group Geef Tegengas initiated the action, joined by the climate movement Extinction Rebellion and other activists. According to reporting credited to MTI and APNews, demonstrators used ladders to climb the perimeter fence and cut through it to let more people enter.
Some protesters climbed scaffolding and a construction crane, where they hung a banner opposing data centers and artificial intelligence. Others painted protest messages on the concrete foundations.
The protesters’ objections extended beyond AI itself. They claimed the proposed facility would consume as much energy as all Amsterdam households combined and criticized the development as an example of the growing economic influence of Microsoft and other large technology companies. The report did not independently establish the protesters’ household-energy comparison.
Demonstrators also argued that Microsoft’s technology services contribute to the oppression of Palestinians, citing the company’s provision of data-management services to customers including the Israeli military.
Police arrived in large numbers, detained several protesters who had entered the site and used pepper spray against demonstrators. The exact number detained was not yet known at the time of the report.
In its official response, Microsoft said it recognized that the project provokes strong emotions and respected the right to peaceful expression. The company stressed that it would not accept unlawful acts or actions that put people’s safety at risk.
Photograph of the protest: Fadel Dawod/Getty Images.
