In brief
Protests erupted in Amsterdam, Warsaw, and Dublin, with residents and environmental groups demanding greater transparency and local benefits from data centers amid rising electricity and water consumption. Experts warn that the concentrated demand for electricity and water could strain local grids and shift costs onto ordinary consumers.
On November 7 and 8, protests erupted in several European cities as data centres faced backlash over their resource demands, according to Xinhua and local media.
In Amsterdam, demonstrators entered a Microsoft data‑center construction site on Friday, prompting riot police to evacuate the area; more than 200 people were arrested, all released by Saturday afternoon, Dutch broadcaster NOS reported.
Polish demonstrators gathered outside Warsaw’s parliament chanting “People First, Data Second,” while residents from nearby Piaseczno petitioned to pause permits for hyperscale facilities, said Xinhua.
Dublin hosted the first national protest against data centres, drawing community groups from several counties and opposition‑party representatives, according to The Irish Times.
Data centres consumed 23 % of Ireland’s metered electricity in 2025, a sharp rise from 5 % in 2015, the Irish Central Statistics Office said.
Protesters and experts point to the heavy demand for electricity, cooling water, land, and the uneven distribution of economic benefits. Stop Dirty Data Centres is the slogan of the campaign.
In Warsaw, protester Jan Maksymak told Xinhua.
“We call these data centres ‘factories,’ but in reality, hardly anyone works inside them, while they consume enormous amounts of water and electricity. AI companies are taking advantage of government support and public resources to generate greater profits, while shifting the costs of their development onto society.”
Assistant Professor Milos Simic of Serbia’s University of Novi Sad warned that concentrated electricity demand could strain local grids and potentially pass costs onto ordinary consumers.
