The artificial intelligence data center construction site built for technology giant Microsoft in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, was occupied by hundreds of activists in protests spanning two days across Europe.
Demonstrators entered the construction site in the Sloterdijk area by overcoming the security barriers despite the presence of police teams and stopped the work.
Dutch news agency ANP reported that the police detained 150 to 200 demonstrators who entered the construction site, while other activists left the area of their own volition.
In the demonstration, which included members of the Geef Tegengas collective, which focuses on climate and justice, and the environmental organization Fossielvrij, activists wrote anti-Microsoft slogans on the walls under construction and shouted political slogans.
Some of the activists who entered the area climbed onto cranes, while others danced by hanging balloons.
Geef Tegengas spokesman Nathan Timmer, 30, told the French news agency AFP that the facility will consume as much electricity and excessive amounts of water as the total of all households in Amsterdam.
Timmer argued that the data center would be operated to facilitate artificial intelligence-supported wars and be used in the genocide in Gaza.
Sam van der Beek, one of the activists, said, "These data centers are destroying our world. The world is becoming uninhabitable because of the resources they consume. This is the reason why we are here today."
CONSTRUCTION SITE OWNER CALLED FOR DIALOGUE
Pure Data Centres, which owns the facility, is supported by Brookfield's Oaktree, and plans to invest more than $1 billion in the field, said it is in communication with local stakeholders.
"We respectfully request that those in the area leave safely and engage in dialogue with us about the project and their concerns," the company statement said.
Microsoft, on the other hand, noted that they understand people's strong feelings about the project and respect their right to express it peacefully, but do not approve of illegal actions.
The raid in Amsterdam marked the beginning of protests organized in 16 countries on Friday and Saturday by the Stop Dirty Data Centers coalition, which brings together environmental and digital rights organizations.
The coalition announced that they do not want the existing centers to be closed and that they are not against technological progress, and that they demand that large-scale facility construction be stopped until governments set clear rules.
The protest calendar includes a march in Dublin, the capital of Ireland, a demonstration in front of the parliament building in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, and a demonstration against another Microsoft data center in Denmark.
The Netherlands, where approximately 200 data centers are planned, under construction or currently operated, is among the countries where the sector is concentrated.
While the intense processing power required by data centers established for artificial intelligence systems increases the load on electricity networks that generally rely on fossil fuels, large amounts of water are used to cool overheated servers.
Global reactions are expanding regarding the impact of the facilities on the environment, the noise and pollution they emit, the visual damage they create and how much employment they actually provide.
Stating that these centers compete with residential areas and other businesses for scarce resources, activists argue that the accumulation of power by private technology giants may pose a risk to personal and national security.
Technology companies, on the other hand, state that these facilities are indispensable to meet the global demand for artificial intelligence and cloud computing and to provide basic infrastructure for businesses, governments and consumers.
While the reactions spread in Spain, India and the USA, technology stocks fell sharply due to concerns that the Democrats in the USA could gain control of Congress and impose strict regulations on the artificial intelligence sector.
