Protesters breach Microsoft data centre site in Amsterdam as European backlash grows

Around 100 activists, including supporters of the Dutch group Geef Tegengas, broke into a Microsoft data centre construction site in Amsterdam on Friday morning, climbing a crane and hanging banners in a physical escalation of local opposition to AI infrastructure expansion. The protest, on the Plimsollweg in the Sloterdijk port area, was part of two days of coordinated actions across 16 countries called by the “Stop Dirty Data Centres” coalition [3].

The protest and police response

A Reuters witness counted roughly 100 people on the site [2][4]. Some cut through fencing; others scaled a construction crane to unfurl a “fuck AI” banner. A second banner read “Microsoft powers genocide,” and demonstrators chanted “Microsoft has got to go” and “free Palestine” [2][6]. Outside the perimeter, a separate Fossiel Vrij Nederland rally drew an estimated 300–400 people [7].

Police had stopped the march en route. The mayor then banned the demonstration, and protesters tried to break through the police line [1]. Riot police (Mobiele Eenheid) deployed with dozens of vans [4]. The force said one officer was slightly injured and one demonstrator was arrested for hindering police work; it acknowledged using violence in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the site breach [7]. AT5 reported “several arrests” without giving a number [1][4]. NOS footage showed demonstrators being contained and moved on while chanting pro‑Palestinian slogans [4].

The project and its regulatory path

The site is slated for three towers, each 85 metres tall, which Microsoft will lease in full [1][5]. British developer Pure Data Centres, backed by Brookfield‑owned Oaktree, plans to invest more than US$1 billion [3]. Permits were first filed in 2016 [1][5], before Amsterdam’s 2023 temporary halt and subsequent ban on new data centres until 2030 [2][6]. The provincial government allowed the project to proceed because the application predated the local restrictions [1][5].

The Dutch national “hyperscale” rule, in force since January 2024, permits new large data centres only at Eemshaven (Groningen) and Agriport A7 (Hollands Kroon). It defines a hyperscale facility as one exceeding ten hectares with a grid connection of 70 MW or more [4]. The province says the Plimsollweg towers cover less than ten hectares, so the rule does not apply [4]. However, signatories of a December letter — including Critical Infrastructure Lab — put the combined capacity at 100 MW, 1.43 times the 70 MW threshold [4]. Amsterdam alderman Steven van Weyenberg stated in a council debate that the project was “simply one permit application,” not three separate ones [4].

Claims, evidence and grid pressure

Geef Tegengas claims the facility would consume as much electricity as all Amsterdam households combined [1][5] and would delay construction of 30,000 new homes [1]. City officials have warned that power‑grid shortages threaten plans for housing and schools [1]. The 100 MW figure comes from the letter’s signatories, not from Microsoft or Pure Data Centres [4]. Microsoft’s October 2025 Netherlands fact sheet lists its operating Dutch data centres in Middenmeer (Hollands Kroon), employing roughly 400 people, and does not include an Amsterdam site [4].

Broader context: a wave of resistance

Friday’s action coincided with a mock Israeli military checkpoint outside a Microsoft data centre in Dublin on Tuesday and planned protests in Warsaw, Denmark and elsewhere [2][3][6]. The “Stop Dirty Data Centres” coalition says it is not anti‑progress but wants major construction paused until governments set clearer rules [3]. In the US, local ballot measures limiting data centres led 40 of 41 votes on unofficial counts this week [4]. Microsoft abandoned its largest UK project last month after grid officials said power would not arrive until the 2030s [2][6]. The company has also faced internal protests over its contracts with the Israeli military [2][6].

Responses

Microsoft said it “understood that people had strong feelings about the project and respected their right to express them peacefully but did not condone any unlawful actions” [3]. Pure Data Centres asked protesters to “leave safely and engage with us in dialogue about the development and any concerns they may have” [3]. EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen told Reuters Europe needs more data centres for AI development “with care,” adding that citizens must trust that energy bills will not skyrocket and the environment will not be destroyed [3].

What remains unclear

Police have not released a final arrest count or damage assessment. The 100 MW capacity figure has not been independently verified. Microsoft has not disclosed the contracted capacity or timeline for the Amsterdam site.