Protests erupted across Europe over the weekend against data centres, with thousands of people taking to the streets for the stoppage of large-scale projects due to environmental and social reasons.
According to broadcaster RTE, in Dublin some 2,000 protesters marched, while in Helsinki some 1,300 took part in the demonstration, and there were demonstrations in other towns in Finland too.
The protests were a part of the “Stop Dirty Data Centres” campaign that involved over 100 organisations in 15 countries such as Ireland, Poland, Denmark, Finland, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, France and the UK.
These protests were triggered by an extraordinary event that happened on Friday in Amsterdam when activists from a Dutch direct action organisation Geef Tegengas invaded the construction site of a Microsoft data centre and clashed with the police.
Some of the protesters climbed on the crane and lit flares, while others hung banners opposing Microsoft’s services to the Israeli army and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The police arrested 150-200 people on charges of trespassing, while one police officer received minor injuries.
Demonstrations also happened in Bristol, Berlin, Warsaw, and Zagreb. All data centre moratoriums proposed during the US midterm elections were approved. Microsoft maintained that it recognises the right of peaceful protest but “does not condone any actions that are unlawful or endanger people’s safety.”
The site owner in Amsterdam, Pure Data Centres, said that it was both dangerous and unlawful to enter a live construction site.
Europe is expected to receive $5.6 trillion in data centre capital expenditure from 2026 to 2050, which is about 18% of global investments, according to PwC.
