Overview
- Protesters entered the fenced construction site near Sloterdijk after police halted a march and the mayor banned the demonstration, which occurred on Friday, Nov. 6, 2026.
- Witnesses for Reuters estimated about 100 people made it onto the site while organisers and a local activist group gave higher figures and said hundreds more remained outside.
- The planned complex comprises three buildings about 85 metres tall that will be leased in full to Microsoft and was approved by the North Holland provincial government after plans were first filed in 2016.
- Opponents say the facility’s power needs could strain the local grid, arguing the project could match Amsterdam household consumption and delay roughly 30,000 new homes, and the site has faced earlier direct actions including acid‑ and paint‑filled balloons in July.
- The action forms part of coordinated protests across several European countries on Nov. 6–7 and brings fresh pressure on city and provincial authorities to address data centre approvals, grid capacity and local housing plans.