Protesters broke into the construction site of a Microsoft data centre in Amsterdam on Friday (November 6) at the start of two days of rallies that are part of a growing global backlash over the rapid build-out of computing power needed for AI.

Activist groups have announced actions in 16 countries on Friday and Saturday (November 7), according to the "Stop Dirty Data Centres" coalition, which is rallying environmental groups and digital rights campaigns behind calls to pause large-scale construction.

In Amsterdam on Friday, more than 100 activists gathered at the construction site of a Microsoft AI data centre, marching arm in arm before breaking into the site, climbing cranes, hanging balloons and dancing while police stood by.

"This is our land. This is land that should be used for the community, for the people, for houses, for anything that serves the people. And instead, they're building a data centre that will power AI-generated work tactics, that will power oppression, and that will power exploitation and make Microsoft a shit ton of money," protester Norah said.

Site owner Pure Data Centres, which plans to invest more than $1 billion and is backed by Brookfield-owned Oaktree, said it was committed to engagement with local stakeholders.

Other planned actions include a march in Dublin, a protest outside the parliament building in Warsaw, and a demonstration against a different Microsoft data centre in Denmark.

Microsoft said it understood that people had strong feelings about the project and respected their right to express them peacefully but did not condone any unlawful actions.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: PROTESTERS IN MICROSOFT DATA CENTRE AFTER BREAKING IN / SOUNDBITES FROM PROTESTER

SHOWS: AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS (NOVEMBER 6, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS IN MICROSOFT DATA CENTRE AFTER BREAKING IN

2. PROTESTERS CLAPPING AND CHANTING (English): "Microsoft has got to go"

3. PROTESTERS IN MICROSOFT DATA CENTRE

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROTESTER WHO BROKE IN, NORAH, SAYING:

"This is our land. This is land that should be used for the community, for the people, for houses, for anything that serves the people. And instead, they're building a data centre that will power AI-generated work tactics, that will power oppression, and that will power exploitation and make Microsoft a shit ton of money."

5. VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS IN MICROSOFT DATA CENTRE

6. PROTESTERS CHANTING (English): "You are not allowed"

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) 30-YEAR OLD PROTESTER, NATHAN TIMMER, SAYING:

"It has been stopped before. In the Netherlands, in Zeewolde, for instance, there was a data centre being built. Farmers and plant activists got together to combat it, and they stopped it from being built even though all the official stuff had already been taken care of. Same here. No one wants this. No one in Amsterdam wants this thing. Why are we building it? We can stop this together."

8. VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS IN MICROSOFT DATA CENTRE AFTER BREAKING IN

9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROTESTER WHO BROKE IN, NORAH, SAYING:

"There's for sure a lot of opposition. I think it would be good for governments to do more research into what the people actually want. There's very much opposition against big tech, against their surveillance, against the power that they have over democracies, and they should not be able to get away with that, especially since the people don't agree."

10. PROTESTERS IN MICROSOFT DATA CENTRE

11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) 30-YEAR OLD PROTESTER, NATHAN TIMMER, SAYING:

"I'm afraid of AI. Not that they're going to take over the world, there's going to be some Terminator-type thing or whatever. But AI is really, at this moment, under the guidance of big tech, trying to take away our humanity, right? They're saying we need to be more efficient, they're saying humans are flawed, and that's why we need to go with AI, because they can do things better. And I don't believe that. I don't believe in efficiency and quantity. I believe in the quality of people to create beautiful stuff. And I think that should be the emphasis of what we're trying to do in this world, and I feel like that's been taken from me. So I want to reclaim my humanity by fighting against AI."

12. PROTESTERS IN MICROSOFT DATA CENTRE

13. POLICE OFFICERS / PROTESTERS OUTSIDE MICROSOFT DATA CENTRE