The direct action in Amsterdam was spearheaded by the groups Geef Tegengas and Fossielvrij, drawing several hundred people to block the construction zone. Law enforcement ultimately detained between 150 and 200 demonstrators, though several other participants opted to depart the premises voluntarily. Organizers maintained that the tech hub's capabilities would facilitate automated warfare abroad alongside worsening regional environmental pressures. The demonstration was integrated into a wider, two-day international campaign led by the Stop Dirty Data Centers coalition.
Key points
Demonstrators demanded an immediate halt to data infrastructure due to environmental and…: Demonstrators demanded an immediate halt to data infrastructure due to environmental and military concerns.
The protest formed part of a coordinated two-day mobilization spanning multiple European…: The protest formed part of a coordinated two-day mobilization spanning multiple European locations.
Activists claimed the facility would be used to support artificial intelligence operation…: Activists claimed the facility would be used to support artificial intelligence operations linked to foreign warfare.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Several hundred activists occupied the construction site of a planned Microsoft data centre in Amsterdam on Friday, protesting the technology giant's alleged role in facilitating Israel's genocide in Gaza, as well as the environmental impact of artificial intelligence infrastructure.
The demonstration, organised by climate and justice collective Geef Tegengas and environmental group Fossielvrij, halted construction work for the day in the city's Sloterdijk district.
The protesters argued that the facility could be used to support AI-powered warfare and Israel's military operations in Gaza.
"It's so many things, so many struggles that come together in this data centre," Nathan Timmer, a spokesman for Geef Tegengas, told AFP.
Timmer, 30, accused the project of helping to facilitate "AI warfare" and what he described as the "genocide" in Gaza.
Dutch news agency ANP reported that police arrested between 150 and 200 protesters, while others left voluntarily.
The protest was part of a wider two-day mobilisation across Europe called by the Stop Dirty Data Centers coalition, which is demanding a pause in the construction of new data centre facilities.
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