Dutch law enforcement officials reported that between 150 and 200 individuals were arrested for unauthorized entry during the demonstration.
Demonstrators reportedly gained access to an Amsterdam building site designated for a Microsoft data center, leading to confrontations with law enforcement.
Local officials in the Netherlands stated that 150-200 people were taken into custody on trespassing charges.
An Associated Press report published on Friday noted that a participant told a regional media outlet that the group sought to halt the development of the facility.
The same report mentioned that Microsoft acknowledged the protest via an official statement from a representative: “We understand that people feel strongly about the project, and we respect their right to express those views peacefully,” they said. “However, we do not condone any actions that are unlawful or that put people’s safety at risk.”
The AP additionally indicated that stricter oversight is anticipated in the United States following the recent midterm elections, where a number of Democratic candidates pledged to regulate data centers more heavily due to their substantial consumption of electrical power and water resources.
Previously, Cointelegraph covered a public session held in September by Plattsburgh, New York, regarding a potential temporary freeze on land utilization affecting artificial intelligence infrastructure and cryptocurrency mining activities.
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Originally published at https://cointelegraph.com/news/amsterdam-data-center-protesters-break-into-construction-site-report?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound.
