Police Detain Up to 200 After Protesters Enter Amsterdam Data Center Site

A protest at the construction site

November 6, 2026 · 9:00 p.m. Central / November 7, 4:00 a.m. Amsterdam

Dutch police detained between 150 and 200 people on suspicion of trespassing after protesters entered a construction site for a Microsoft data center in Amsterdam on Friday, police said, according to The Associated Press.

Some demonstrators climbed cranes and set off flares as police moved to clear the site. Reuters reported that more than 100 activists gathered there during a day of action against the expansion of data centers.

The police figure is an estimate of people detained, not a count of convictions. The reporting reviewed did not establish the outcome of individual cases.

Why protesters targeted the site

Campaigners object to the resources used by large data centers, including electricity and water, and say their expansion can compete with other needs. Reuters reported that activists had also raised concerns about AI and the concentration of power in large technology companies.

Pro-Palestinian activists joined the demonstration, AP reported. The groups present did not necessarily share a single reason for taking part.

Data centers house computer equipment used for cloud services and AI. Their effect on a community depends on the facility and its power and water arrangements; a concern raised by protesters is not by itself proof of a specific project’s impact.

Microsoft and site owner respond

Microsoft told AP it respected the right to express views peacefully but did not condone unlawful activity or actions that put people at risk. Site owner Pure Data Centres told Reuters it wanted to engage with local stakeholders and asked people on the site to leave safely.

Technology companies say data centers support demand for cloud computing and AI, including services used by businesses and public institutions, Reuters reported. Organizers said additional demonstrations were planned elsewhere in Europe; a plan does not establish that each event took place.

Where the protest took place

The star marks the approximate center of Amsterdam, Netherlands, not the specific site.

Reuters reports from Amsterdam

Reuters posted a report about the protest on X. The post reflects Reuters’ own reporting and is not an additional independent source.

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Sources and visual credits

Associated Press · Reuters · Reuters on X.

Hero and thumbnail: conceptual illustration, not an image of the actual site or protest. Map data: OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.