Activists across Europe plan two days of protests against datacentres

Protesters across Europe are set to stage two days of action against datacentres this week, with demonstrations scheduled in 15 countries, organisers say. More than 100 groups will take part in the "Stop Dirty Data Centres" events on Friday and Saturday, urging a halt to large‑scale projects because of the environmental and social costs they claim are unaffordable.

Planned actions include a rally outside the Polish parliament in Warsaw, a march in Dublin, a demonstration at a Microsoft data centre in Denmark, a teach‑in near a proposed site in Amsterdam and a gathering in London’s Brick Lane, where a local data‑centre development has faced opposition. Owen Espley, the campaign’s coordinator, said communities in the US and Europe are sending a message about data centres. "Communities and civil society from across Europe are rising up to stop dirty data centres where they live and demand their politicians impose moratoria on large-scale data centre developments," he said.

"The US mid-term results reflect the concerns communities both sides of the Atlantic share about the harms of large-scale data centres."

Organisers anticipate that attendance will vary, with some events drawing only a few participants while larger gatherings in Brick Lane and Dublin could attract several hundred. Backing the protests are groups such as Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and Foxglove, a London‑based campaign for a fairer tech future.

Research by Germany’s Öko‑Institut projects that by 2030 carbon dioxide emissions from AI data centres will be six times the 2023 level. In the UK, energy consumption by AI data centres could generate up to 123 million tonnes of CO₂ over the next decade – roughly the output of 2.7 million people.

The pan‑European campaign lists various social impacts, from chat‑bot effects on mental health to AI‑driven job losses and the prioritisation of data centres over housing. The tech sector argues that data centres create construction and operational jobs and support AI development. About 250 global data‑centre projects exceeding 100 megawatts – equivalent to about 300,000 homes each – were announced between 2021 and 2024, with North American schemes leading the queue. In the UK alone, 315 data centres are awaiting grid connection, demanding 73 gigawatts compared with the nation’s peak demand of 45 GW.