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Police said 218 people were arrested after protesters entered a data center construction site in Amsterdam-West on November 6; all have since been released. The protest formed part of a European campaign against large data centers, as debate grows over electricity, water and local impacts.
Police in Amsterdam said 218 people were arrested after protesters entered a construction site in the city’s west on Friday, November 6, where developer Pure DC is building a data center leased to Microsoft. All those arrested have been released, police told Dutch news agency ANP on Saturday. The action brought opposition to data center expansion to a major construction site and sharpened a wider European argument over energy demand, water use and local costs.
The site is in Westpoort, the port area near Sloterdijk station. A climate group, Fossil Free Netherlands, had planned a protest outside the site at noon. Police said officers stopped some demonstrators carrying an angle grinder and climbing equipment on their way there. According to police accounts reported by Dutch outlets, officers repeatedly asked them to hand over the items; police said this led to resistance and confrontations.
Around noon, members of the collective Geef Tegengas entered the construction site after a fence was cut open, according to police. Some protesters climbed a crane and the building roof, lit flares and hung banners opposing AI and Microsoft. The Associated Press reported that pro-Palestinian activists also joined. Police gave protesters 10 minutes to leave, broadcaster AT5 reported, before riot police cleared the site. One officer was slightly injured.
Police initially estimated that 150 to 200 people had been arrested on suspicion of trespassing. A spokesperson later gave ANP the final count of 218 arrests and said everyone had been released, with one person held overnight. The site owner has filed a complaint alleging trespassing, vandalism and burglary. Police said some people carried items they believed had been taken from the site. These are allegations; no court has ruled on them.
Data center protest sparks a wider debate
After protesters entered a construction site in Amsterdam-West, police reported 218 arrests. The action reflects growing European tensions over the resources and local impacts of data centers.
What happened at the site
The protest took place on November 6 at a data center under construction in Westpoort.
Some climbed a crane and the building roof, lit flares and hung banners.
After a request to leave, riot police removed protesters. One officer was slightly injured.
Police said 218 people were arrested on suspicion of trespassing and later released.
The project and its promises
Pure DC is developing AMS01; Microsoft is the tenant.
Three towers
Pure DC says the plan totals 78 megawatts of data halls.
Port water plan
The developer says cooling will use non-potable water from the port.
Jobs and revenue
Pure DC forecasts more than 80 permanent jobs and about €4 million a year in city taxes and revenues.
Why opposition is growing
The dispute weighs demand for computing capacity against resource use and community concerns.
- Pressure on electricity supplies
- Water use, bills and housing
- Local costs and impacts
- Governments and companies seek more computing infrastructure
- Pure DC describes expected jobs and revenue
- Microsoft plans to increase European data center capacity
Amsterdam’s Power and Water Debate
The protest reflects a growing conflict between the demand for computing capacity and concerns about the resources needed to run it. The European Commission, citing the International Energy Agency, says data centers used 70 terawatt-hours of electricity in the EU in 2024 and projects demand could reach 115 terawatt-hours by 2030. Those figures describe EU-wide electricity use; they do not establish how much power the Amsterdam project will consume in practice.
Local impacts are part of the dispute. Amsterdam says it has not approved new large data centers since June 2025, while Ireland’s data centers accounted for 22% of metered electricity in 2024, according to the source material. Residents and campaigners raise concerns about pressure on power supplies, water, bills and housing. At the same time, European governments and technology companies want more computing infrastructure on the continent. The competing interests make decisions about grid access and local planning consequential well beyond this site.
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A European Campaign Takes Aim
The Amsterdam action was part of a campaign by the coalition Stop Dirty Data Centres, which is calling for a moratorium on large data centers. Accounts of the campaign’s reach differ: Reuters reported actions in 16 countries, while organizers told AP and AFP there were events in 15. The coalition website lists 85 events, including talks and walks as well as protests at sites. The figures refer to different reports and should not be treated as a single confirmed count of site occupations.
The project, known as AMS01, is being developed by British company Pure DC; Microsoft is the tenant, not the builder. Pure DC says the plan includes three 85-meter towers, each with 26 megawatts of data halls, for 78 megawatts in total, and a dedicated substation. The company puts the investment at more than €1 billion. These are developer-provided project details, not independent assessments of the project’s eventual effects.
Pure DC says cooling will use non-potable water from the port. Its published figures also include a peak construction workforce of 1,100 in 2027, more than 80 permanent jobs and about €4 million a year in taxes and revenues for the city. Microsoft has separately said it plans to increase its European data center capacity by 40%. The companies’ statements describe expected benefits and plans; the protest shows that the project’s effects remain contested locally.
““We understand that people feel strongly about the project, and we respect their right to express those views peacefully. However, we do not condone any actions that are unlawful or that put people’s safety at risk.””
— Microsoft, in a statement to several outlets
Questions About the Protest and Project
The precise number of people who entered the site remains unsettled. A Reuters witness saw about 100 people on site; organizers described several hundred, and a campaigner quoted by Bloomberg put the total at about 400. These accounts may refer to different groups or locations, and the available reporting does not reconcile them.
The arrests were reported as being on suspicion of trespassing, and all those arrested have been released. The site owner’s complaints remain allegations, with no court findings reported. The supplied accounts do not establish whether charges will follow, when the complaints will be assessed, or whether any damage was confirmed. Nor do they independently verify the developer’s estimates of jobs, tax revenue, energy performance or water use once the facility is operating.
Site Complaints and Project Plans
Police may continue investigating the complaints filed by the site owner, but no further action or timetable was specified in the reports available on November 7. The release of the 218 arrested does not resolve the allegations or establish what legal steps, if any, will follow.
Attention will also turn to the project’s construction and local scrutiny of its resource use. Pure DC’s published schedule anticipates a peak construction workforce in 2027, while the company says the site will use non-potable port water for cooling. The reporting does not state whether construction has been paused or whether the plans will change after the protest. Further details from police, the developer, Microsoft or city authorities could clarify both the legal response and how the project’s promised benefits and resource requirements will be monitored.
Key Questions
How many people were arrested in Amsterdam?
Police told ANP that 218 people were arrested on suspicion of trespassing. Police said all had been released by November 7.
Who is building the data center?
Pure DC is the developer, and Microsoft is the tenant. Pure DC says the plan calls for three towers with 78 megawatts of data halls in total.
Why were protesters opposing the project?
The broader campaign calls for a moratorium on large data centers. Opponents raise concerns about electricity demand, water use and effects on local communities; the protest also included banners opposing AI and Microsoft.
Have the people arrested been charged?
The reports say those arrested were suspected of trespassing and have all been released. They do not establish whether charges will be filed. The site owner has made complaints alleging trespassing, vandalism and burglary, which remain allegations.
Source: Thorsten Meyer AI
