Around 100 protesters broke into a construction site in Amsterdam on November 6, 2026, to demonstrate against a new Microsoft data center. The activists, organized by the Geef Tegengas group, scaled a crane at the site to hang a banner reading ‘fuck AI’. They also unfurled a ‘Microsoft powers genocide’ banner and chanted slogans.
The Amsterdam project involves building three 85-meter towers for the data center. The construction is proceeding despite a city ban on new data centers that is set to last until 2030. The project was planned as far back as 2016, and the protests coincide with other data center demonstrations happening across Europe and the US.
This disruption highlights growing local opposition to large-scale AI infrastructure projects. The city’s ban on new data centers until 2030 shows a regulatory pushback against tech expansion. Developers must now navigate these increasing local challenges and public scrutiny while advancing their facilities.
