Key points
- More than 100 activists broke into the construction site of a Microsoft data centre in Amsterdam on Friday, climbing cranes, setting off flares and hanging balloons, Reuters reported.
- Dutch police said they detained between 150 and 200 people suspected of trespassing, Al Jazeera reported; by late afternoon officers were escorting activists off the site, though some remained.
- The protest opened two days of rallies in 16 countries organised by the Stop Dirty Data Centres coalition, which is calling for a moratorium on large-scale data-centre construction until governments set clearer rules.
- The site's owner, Pure Data Centres, plans to invest more than $1 billion in the project, Reuters reported. Microsoft said it respected people's right to protest peacefully but did not condone unlawful actions.
- The European Union's tech chief, Henna Virkkunen, told Reuters on Thursday that Europe needed more data centres to power artificial intelligence — but added that citizens must be able to trust their energy bills would not soar.
Protesters broke into the construction site of a Microsoft data centre in Amsterdam on Friday, at the start of two days of rallies that are part of a growing backlash across Europe against the rapid build-out of computing power needed for artificial intelligence. More than 100 activists gathered at the site in the Sloterdijk district, marching arm in arm before breaking in, climbing cranes, hanging balloons and dancing while police stood by, Reuters reported. Some carried placards reading "Screw your datacentre".
The key figures
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Activists who gathered at the Amsterdam site | More than 100 | Reuters |
| People detained on suspicion of trespassing | 150–200 | Dutch police, via Al Jazeera |
| Countries with planned actions on 6–7 November | 16 | Reuters; Stop Dirty Data Centres |
| Planned capacity of the Amsterdam facility | 78 megawatts, with Microsoft as sole tenant | Bloomberg |
| Planned investment by site owner Pure Data Centres | More than $1 billion | Reuters |
| Data centres in the Netherlands planned, under construction or in operation | About 200 | Reuters |
A protest across 16 countries
The Amsterdam action was organised by the protest group Geef Tegengas — "Push Back" — as part of the Stop Dirty Data Centres coalition, which announced actions in 16 countries on Friday and Saturday. Nathan Timmer, of Geef Tegengas, told local broadcaster AT5 that demonstrators were occupying the site in an effort to stop construction, the Associated Press reported. Pro-Palestinian activists also joined the demonstrations in the Dutch capital. By late afternoon, police were escorting activists off the construction site, though some remained, local media reported.
Other planned actions included a march in Dublin, a protest outside the parliament building in Warsaw, and a demonstration against a different Microsoft data centre in Denmark, Reuters reported. Police said two groups entered the Amsterdam site by cutting open a gate, and at least one person was arrested, Bloomberg reported. The facility, being developed by Pure Data Centres, will have a planned capacity of 78 megawatts, with Microsoft as its sole tenant, Bloomberg reported.
What the campaigners want
Campaigners say data centres pressure electricity and water supplies, compete with housing and other businesses for scarce resources, and threaten climate goals. They also point to job losses and potential risks to personal and national security from private and big tech companies concentrating power, Reuters reported.
The coalition says it is not anti-progress and is not calling for existing data centres to be closed, but says major construction should be halted until governments establish clearer rules, Reuters reported.
The case for building
Technology companies say data centres are essential to meeting global demand for artificial intelligence and cloud computing, and provide critical infrastructure for businesses, governments and consumers, Reuters reported.
Speaking to Reuters on Thursday, the EU's tech chief, Henna Virkkunen, said Europe needed more data centres to power AI development, though she added it needed to be done with care. "AI, of course, is a super important technology and we need to have our own capacity," she said, pointing to investments in chip-making capacity, AI startups and a plan to build Gigafactories around the region. "It's very important for citizens that they can trust that their energy bills are not skyrocketing and there's not electricity blackouts because of data centres, or they are not destroying the environment with these projects," she added.
The debate is already changing decisions elsewhere: a Google project in Finland faces a criminal probe over land clearances, Italy and Portugal are tightening environmental regulation for data centres, and Microsoft has pulled out of a UK data centre project that was hit by infrastructure delays, Reuters reported. The Netherlands has about 200 data centres either planned, under construction or in operation.
What happens next
The coalition's actions were planned to continue on Saturday, with further demonstrations expected in several European cities. The site's owner said it was committed to engaging with local stakeholders and asked those on site to leave safely and discuss their concerns, Reuters reported. Europe Unfolded will report the outcome of the second day of protests, and any response from the Dutch authorities, as they are confirmed.
Updates & corrections
Published 7 November 2026.
No updates or corrections have been made to this article since publication.
Sources
- Reuters, "Activists breach Microsoft data centre construction site as protests spread in Europe", 6 November 2026, on more than 100 activists breaking into the Amsterdam site, the actions in 16 countries, Pure Data Centres planning to invest more than $1 billion, Microsoft's response, the campaigners' concerns and the technology companies' case, Henna Virkkunen's remarks, the Finland, Italy, Portugal and UK context, and the Netherlands having about 200 data centres: reuters.com
- Associated Press, "Protesters break into Microsoft data center site in Amsterdam as Europe's backlash spreads", 6 November 2026, on Geef Tegengas and Nathan Timmer telling AT5 that demonstrators were occupying the site to stop construction, on some protesters climbing a crane and setting off flares, and on pro-Palestinian activists joining the demonstrations: koreatimes.co.kr
- Al Jazeera, "Protesters break into Microsoft data centre site in Amsterdam", 6 November 2026, on Dutch police detaining 150–200 people suspected of trespassing, and on police escorting activists off the site by late afternoon while some remained: aljazeera.com
- Bloomberg, via Gizmodo, "More Than 100 Protesters Storm a Microsoft Data Center Site in Amsterdam", 6 November 2026, on two groups entering the site by cutting open a gate, at least one person being arrested, and the facility's planned capacity of 78 megawatts with Microsoft as its sole tenant: gizmodo.com