The two-day campaign spans 15 nations with demonstrations scheduled in major cities, including Warsaw, Dublin, London, and outside a Danish Microsoft facility. Campaigners argue that the massive scale of proposed infrastructure will destabilise utility grids and escalate carbon emissions while displacing local housing resources. In the United Kingdom, grid requests for datacentres already exceed 70 gigawatts, substantially eclipsing the country's existing peak energy requirements. Meanwhile, the political traction of datacentre opposition has already proven to be an effective issue for candidates in recent United States elections.
Key points
Campaigners are calling for an immediate moratorium on new computing facilities due to ec…: Campaigners are calling for an immediate moratorium on new computing facilities due to ecological degradation and electrical grid strain.
Tech sector representatives argue that datacentre developments foster economic expansion…: Tech sector representatives argue that datacentre developments foster economic expansion and secure employment opportunities across multiple phases.
Mounting social concerns surrounding datacentres extend into AI job displacement, mental…: Mounting social concerns surrounding datacentres extend into AI job displacement, mental health issues, and regional electoral politics.
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Protesters across Europe are planning two days of action against datacentres this week with demonstrations taking place in 15 countries.
More than 100 groups are joining together for the “Stop Dirty Data Centres” events on Friday and Saturday. They are calling for a moratorium on large projects, citing environmental and social costs that “we can no longer afford”.
Datacentres have become a lightning rod for concerns over artificial intelligence, given their role in developing and operating the cutting-edge technology. In the US midterm elections this week, opponents of datacentres were among the biggest winners for the Democrats.
Actions across the two days include: a protest outside the Polish parliament in Warsaw; a march in Dublin; a demonstration outside a Microsoft datacentre in Denmark; a “teach-in” near the site of a planned datacentre in Amsterdam; and an event in the Brick Lane area of east London, where a datacentre development has met local opposition.
Owen Espley, the campaign’s coordinator, said communities in the US and Europe are sending a message about data centres.
“Communities and civil society from across Europe are…
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