Protesters storm Microsoft data center construction site in Amsterdam (VIDEOS)

Several hundred demonstrators protesting the construction of a Microsoft data center in Amsterdam have breached the construction site and clashed with Dutch police, with multiple arrests reported. The rally came as part of a broader campaign against energy-guzzling and water-intensive Big Tech infrastructure spanning multiple European countries.

On Friday, members of the Geef Tegengas group, along with pro-Palestinian demonstrators, used angle grinders to cut through the fencing surrounding the site in the Sloterdijk district, while others simply scaled it, as reported by Dutch media.

As many as 500 activists entered the restricted area at around noon, according to the organizers, where they set off flares, sprayed graffiti on surfaces, and climbed cranes and scaffolding to unfurl banners.

The activists are demanding a halt to the construction of the 78-megawatt complex, which includes three data center towers and is being developed by Pure Data Centres for Microsoft. Geef Tegengas cites concerns over the facility’s heavy electricity and water consumption and the negative consequences it would likely have for local residents.

Several hundred more people gathered outside the construction site as part of a separate demonstration organized by the Fossielvrij Nederland climate group.

Palestinian flags were flown during the protest, with “Microsoft powers genocide” and “Free Palestine, F**k Microsoft” among the slogans. One of the activists told the AT5 broadcaster that “energy-guzzling data centers are used for mass surveillance and violence. For instance, Microsoft hosts data from ICE and the IDF [Israel Defense Forces], among others.”