Intensifying Digital Protest! "The Cloud" is Using City Resources - Growing Opposition to Data Centers in Europe

When you ask AI a question on your smartphone, you get an answer in seconds. It organizes sentences, creates images, and reduces work effort. While enjoying this convenience, there are few opportunities to be aware of where the buildings that support these calculations are located and how much resources they consume.

However, in regions where data centers are built, their presence is visible. Huge buildings, power facilities, cooling devices, and construction vehicles. The convenience on the screen is supported by the infrastructure of towns where people live.

The protest that occurred in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on November 6, 2026, highlighted this relationship. Activists entered the construction site of a data center that Microsoft planned to use, temporarily halting the construction.

If we dismiss this event as merely "a disturbance by people opposing AI," we overlook important points. The issue at hand is who bears the cost of the resources necessary for technological development and who decides their use.

What Happened at the Construction Site

According to a user-provided AFP article, hundreds of activists entered the construction site in the Sloterdijk area of Amsterdam, halting work for a day. The Dutch news agency ANP reported that the police detained 150 to 200 people.

The protest involved groups advocating for climate and social justice, such as "Geef Tegengas," and environmental group "Fossielvrij." Political slogans were shouted at the site, and some participants eventually left voluntarily.

However, not all participants took the same actions.

Local public broadcaster NOS distinguished between activists who entered the premises and the Fossielvrij demonstration held outside. It is necessary to understand the difference between supporting the purpose of the protest and choosing the means of entering the construction site.

The original AFP article stated that no response was received from Microsoft regarding inquiries. Meanwhile, other reports confirmed the company's explanation. Microsoft expressed respect for the right to express opinions peacefully but did not condone illegal activities or actions that endanger people's safety.

How to Interpret the Claim of "Power Equivalent to All Households in Amsterdam"

The protesters emphasized the resource consumption of the facility.

In an AFP interview, Nathan Timmer, a spokesperson for Geef Tegengas, claimed that the facility would consume energy equivalent to all households in Amsterdam and require a large amount of water.

While the comparison leaves a strong impression, caution is needed here. The original article presents the protesters' explanation. The article alone does not verify the assumptions, comparison targets, or operating rates of the calculations.

Even when comparing with household electricity consumption, the meaning changes depending on whether the facility operates at maximum capacity or assumes average annual operation. There is also a difference in whether only servers are targeted or if cooling and other equipment are included.

Therefore, it should not be treated as confirmed information that the facility will necessarily consume electricity equivalent to all households in the city.

At the same time, the lack of sufficient evidence for the figures does not eliminate the region's concerns. What is needed is information that residents can verify.

Only when conditions such as the expected annual energy consumption, maximum demand, power procurement methods, and impact on the power grid are clarified can the facility's burdens and benefits be concretely compared.

Global Power Demand and the City's Burden Are Not the Same

There is international analysis on the expansion of power demand for data centers.

According to a 2026 report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), global data center power consumption is expected to nearly double from 485 terawatt-hours in 2025 to 950 terawatt-hours by 2030, equivalent to about 3% of global power demand at that time. This figure includes not only AI-specific facilities but data centers as a whole.

Looking at the global percentage alone, one might feel that "3% is not that large."

However, facilities are not built evenly around the world. If large demands concentrate in the same region, securing power facilities and sources becomes a challenge. Even a small percentage globally can have a significant impact on the local area.

The protest group Fossielvrij also highlighted concerns about power grid congestion and the impact on housing construction in their demonstration notice. This reflects dissatisfaction not only with environmental impact but also with what should be prioritized in the allocation of limited infrastructure.

Of course, it cannot be conclusively stated from the confirmed documents that this facility specifically delayed certain housing plans. Nonetheless, the question of how to balance local infrastructure with enormous computational demands remains.

Water Issues Cannot Be Judged Without Confirming Cooling Methods

Regarding water, it is not accurate to think that "all data centers consume large amounts in the same way."

In 2024, Microsoft announced a new design that circulates cooling water in a closed loop, cooling without evaporating water. This system reduces water consumption for cooling but does not mean eliminating water use in toilets or kitchens.

Moreover, the announcement of a new method by the company and the adoption of that method in the Amsterdam facility are separate issues. The confirmed documents do not ascertain the specific cooling specifications or annual water consumption of this facility.

What is needed is to move beyond broad explanations like "uses a lot of water" or "no problem because it's the latest technology."

Which water source is used? Is it potable water or reclaimed water? How much is needed not only annually but during hot and dry periods? What measures are taken when local supply is strained?

To evaluate water usage, it is necessary to consider both the facility's design and the local circumstances.

Reactions Conveyed on Social Media—Organizers' Posts and On-Site Footage

The protest was also conveyed through social media.

According to Business Insider, Geef Tegengas posted on social media that they organized the action and that hundreds of supporters were obstructing the construction. For the protesters, it was a post demonstrating the scale of the action and their intent to stop the construction.

The same report also introduced on-site footage posted on X by Dutch journalist Tom Orttov. It showed people holding banners on the premises and a support demonstration taking place across the road.

However, based on the information confirmed this time, it is not possible to determine the proportion of general users' approval or disapproval or how Dutch society as a whole perceives it. There is no basis for expressions like "support flooded social media" or "criticism was the majority."

The organizers' posts represent their own stance. The local journalist's footage conveys the scene at that time. Both are useful, but they serve different roles than opinion polls.

For events with strong visual impressions, it is important to confirm who is communicating and from what standpoint.

Distrust in AI Usage Overlapping with Environmental Issues

The protest had aspects that could not be fully explained by electricity and water alone.

The AFP article noted that Timmer expressed concerns about the military use of AI. The protest targeted not only how much resources are used but also what the technology enabled by those resources is used for.

However, expressing concerns by the protesters and confirming specific military operations at this facility are not the same. The original article does not substantiate such specific uses.

Still, it is clear that discussions surrounding data centers are no longer confined to buildings and equipment.

For residents, noise and power demand become issues. For environmental groups, resource consumption and climate impact are important. Other participants may be concerned about the uses of AI and the concentration of power in large IT companies.

When different grievances converge at the same construction site, explaining only energy-saving performance by companies does not answer all questions. Environmental performance, relationships with the community, and the uses of technology each require corresponding explanations.

The Need for "Pre-Construction Explanations" in Japan

When considering this event in relation to Japan, it is not enough to simply affirm or deny data center construction.

Online work, administrative services, video streaming, and data storage. Our lives are already supported by the foundation of computation and communication. As AI usage expands, how to develop this foundation becomes an even more immediate issue.

In such cases, the region is likely interested in more than just abstract explanations like "there will be economic benefits."

For example, it is important to distinguish between employment during construction and ongoing employment after operation. The total amount of capital investment and the scale of work for local companies are not the same. Even if there are expectations for tax revenue, the evaluation changes depending on who bears the cost of surrounding infrastructure development.

To enable residents to make informed decisions, at least the following information is necessary.

• Expected electricity and water usage and the conditions of these calculations
• Impact of noise from cooling and emergency equipment
• Costs and bearers of infrastructure enhancement
• Specific benefits to employment and the region after operation
• A system for receiving explanations in case of plan changes or problems

This is not a matter that can be resolved by holding a single explanatory meeting. Trust is built by being able to compare pre-construction expectations with post-operation results and by reviewing responses when things differ from expectations.

Balancing AI Value with Regional Acceptance

The protest in Amsterdam showed that data centers are no longer just an issue for tech companies.

For those who use AI conveniently, companies investing in facilities, and people living nearby, the perceived benefits and burdens differ. If the places enjoying convenience and those providing electricity, water, and land are separated, these differences become even less visible.

Therefore, it is not enough to simply explain the necessity of the facility. Why is it that scale? Why that location? What impact will it have on the region, and how will the benefits be returned? Specific questions need to be answered.

It is possible to evaluate the means of protest and also examine the questions behind them. Even without condoning dangerous actions, the concerns of residents about burdens can be addressed.

On the screen, AI works lightly. Behind it, large buildings and equipment continue to operate.

What will be questioned in the future is not only how smart AI can be made but also whether its foundation can be built in a way that the region can agree with.

Sources and References

1. BUSINESS-PANORAMA/AFP:
   Occupation on November 6, 2026, construction halt, number of detainees, and protesters' claims regarding electricity, water, and military use.
   https://business-panorama.de/news.php?newsid=6717217

2. NOS: On-site protest and Microsoft's response
   Distinction between activists on-site and demonstrations outside, the company's stance on peaceful expression and safety.
   https://nos.nl/artikel/2638275-ontruiming-begint-bij-bezet-bouwterrein-datacenter-microsoft-in-amsterdamnos.nl

3. Business Insider: Organizers' social media posts and local journalist's footage
   Confirmation source for Geef Tegengas's social media posts and Tom Orttov's X posts. The SNS section is based on the same report.
   https://www.businessinsider.com/protesters-break-into-microsoft-data-center-construction-site-amsterdam-ai-2026-11businessinsider.com

4. Fossielvrij: Official notice of support demonstration
   The organizers' awareness of issues regarding the power grid, housing, and AI usage. Materials for confirming claims, not independent impact assessments.
   https://fossielvrij.nl/supportdemo-stop-nieuwe-datacenters/fossielvrij.nl

5. IEA: 2026 Edition "Key Questions on Energy and AI"
   Forecast of data center power demand from 2025 to 2030.
   https://www.iea.org/reports/key-questions-on-energy-and-ai/executive-summaryIEA

6. IEA: "Energy and AI" Power Demand Analysis
   Background on the concentration of data center locations and integration into regional power grids as challenges.
   https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-and-ai/energy-demand-from-aiIEA

7. Microsoft: Official explanation of next-generation cooling design that does not evaporate water
   Mechanism and scope of closed-loop cooling. Not a document confirming adoption in the current Amsterdam facility.
   https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-cloud/blog/2024/12/09/sustainable-by-design-next-generation-datacenters-consume-zero-water-for-cooling/