Protesters break into Microsoft data centre site in Amsterdam as Europe’s backlash spreads

CTV News · The Associated Press · 2026-11-06 16:21 UTC

Protesters broke into a construction site for a new Microsoft data centre in Amsterdam, with some climbing a crane and setting off flares.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Protesters broke into a construction site for a new Microsoft data centre in Amsterdam on Friday, with some climbing a crane and setting off flares while others clashed with police.

Nathan Timmer of the protest group Geef Tegengas, a phrase that translates as Push Back, told local broadcaster AT5 that protesters were occupying the site in an effort to stop construction.

Campaigners against data centres in Europe are expected to stage protests and other actions in several countries on Friday and Saturday, demanding a moratorium on large-scale developments to address social and environmental concerns around the energy-hungry behemoths.

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