Police Detain Up to 200 People at Protest Against Microsoft Data Center

Amsterdam police detained 150-200 protesters at the construction site of a Microsoft data center on suspicion of unauthorized entry. The protest was initially peaceful, but some people in the group tried to force their way onto the site. After police intervened, those detained were taken to a temporary detention facility. The construction site belongs to Pure Data Centers.

Police confiscated tools that the protesters had allegedly brought to gain entry to the site. Despite this, some participants climbed over the fence and entered the construction site. They were also found carrying items believed to have been stolen from the construction site. Damage and vandalism were reported at the site. A decision on whether the suspects will remain in custody will be made after they are questioned.

The incident is a continuation of protests that began last Friday with people entering the same data center. This protest was attended mainly by Fossielvrij, a group that opposes the use of fossil fuels at data centers. According to the group, the protest was planned to be peaceful. However, it is alleged that other people joined the demonstration, broke through the fence and clashed with police.

The protest is the first of a series of events the Stop Dirty Data Centers coalition plans to hold across Europe. The coalition is also preparing protests in Amsterdam, Dublin, Warsaw, Denmark and elsewhere on the continent. The organization says data centers consume large amounts of energy, place additional strain on the power grid and create a need for additional fossil fuel-powered equipment.

The protests come as data centers serving artificial intelligence are expanding rapidly. Opposition to such projects is also growing in the United States. In Finland, approximately 526 hectares of forest were reportedly cleared for a Google data center without an environmental impact assessment. Following allegations of harm to wildlife, a criminal investigation was launched into Tuike Finland Oy.