Amsterdam police arrest 150-200 protesters at Microsoft data center site

Law enforcement in Amsterdam detained between 150 and 200 demonstrators at a Microsoft data center under construction, citing trespassing violations. According to a statement from Amsterdam police, officers initially confiscated tools intended for breaking into the facility from the assembled crowd, which was then permitted to continue protesting outside the site. The situation deteriorated when a portion of the protesters forced their way into the construction area "with violence," prompting police intervention and subsequent arrests. Officers also recovered items allegedly taken from the data center premises, along with evidence of property damage and vandalism at the location.

This action represents an escalation of demonstrations that commenced the previous Friday, when activists first breached the Microsoft facility, which is operated by Pure Data Centers. The event marks the opening salvo in a coordinated campaign by the "Stop Dirty Data Centers" coalition, which has scheduled similar protests across multiple European cities including Dublin, Warsaw, and Copenhagen. Dutch media outlet NOS identified the primary activist group at the Amsterdam site as Fossielvrij, an organization focused on eliminating fossil fuel consumption at data center operations, such as the jet engines that Elon Musk has deployed at xAI's Mississippi facility.

Gas prices are going through the roof, and new houses are being postponed because of the overcrowded power grid. Yet tech billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are building energy-guzzling, hideous data centers. We can take back the power of Big Tech by pressing the pause button now. Give us the opportunity to democratically decide what we do and do not use AI for, so that it is not at the expense of our living environment and everything that makes our lives beautiful. Then we look at how many more data centers are needed.

Fossielvrij, on its website

The Amsterdam incident reflects broader pushback against the rapid expansion of data center infrastructure to support artificial intelligence development, with similar resistance emerging across North America. A Google data center project in Finland has faced scrutiny after clearing approximately 1,300 acres of forest without completing an environmental impact assessment, resulting in habitat destruction and triggering a criminal investigation into Tuike Finland Oy, the Google subsidiary responsible for the site.

While Fossielvrij had organized the demonstration as a nonviolent action, participants from another group reportedly joined and cut through the perimeter fencing, precipitating the police response. Those arrested face charges related to the breach and have been transported to detention facilities pending further questioning. Amsterdam police indicated that "All suspects will be heard afterward."