Activists enter Microsoft construction site in Amsterdam
Demonstrators climbed a crane and the roof of the data centre under construction.
Follow-up to: Police intervene at protest against Microsoft data centre Friday, 6 November 2026, 12:45
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According to NOS, dozens of activists entered a construction site in Amsterdam-Sloterdijk on Friday, where a Microsoft data centre is being built. NOS reported that several demonstrators climbed a crane and the roof of the building under construction; other protesters were detained by police.
The new development follows an earlier police intervention at the same protest. According to NOS, protesters tried to break through a police line on Friday after the mayor had banned the demonstration. NOS reported that dozens of demonstrators later entered the site on Plimsollweg regardless.
At the site, demonstrators climbed a crane and the roof of the data centre, according to reporter Danny Simons. Police were present with around 30 police vans, NOS said. Outside the construction site, the broadcaster reported, there were around 100 to 150 demonstrators from Fossielvrij NL.
The action took place at a data centre under construction. According to NOS, Fossielvrij NL had announced a demonstration for Friday; another group of activists had earlier broken through the fences, the broadcaster reported. The campaign group Geef Tegengas was present at the site, according to NOS, with banners accusing Microsoft of involvement in the war in Gaza. That political accusation is the protesters’ position, not an established fact in the reporting.
Microsoft told NOS that it respected the right to peaceful protest, but condemned actions it considered contrary to the law or endangering safety. Reuters likewise reported that demonstrators entered the construction site. At the time of publication, complete information was unavailable on arrests, possible damage and the further handling of the matter by police and prosecutors.
The event makes the conflict over data centres more concrete: supporters point to digital infrastructure and economic activity, while opponents fear energy and land use and a lack of public say. The precise consequences for the planning of the Microsoft project are not yet known.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Demonstrators entered a construction site for a Microsoft data centre in Amsterdam on 6 November.
- Several demonstrators climbed a crane and the roof of the building under construction.
- Microsoft says it respects peaceful protest and condemns actions that harm the law or safety.
- The precise consequences for the construction schedule are not yet known.
Left
Arguments The protesters would emphasise that data centres use large amounts of energy, land and infrastructure, while the social benefits and public say are, in their view, insufficiently regulated. They also stress the responsibility of technology companies for their commercial and geopolitical choices.
Values Environmental protection, public say, human rights, and the distribution of scarce energy and land.
Consequences Without stricter conditions, this approach holds, data centres could increase local pressure on the electricity grid, water use and land; heavy-handed actions could at the same time undermine support for the objections.
Centre
Arguments An institutional approach would leave room for digital infrastructure, while strictly enforcing permits, safety rules and local participation. The right to protest and public order must be protected alongside one another.
Values Legal certainty, proportionality, democratic decision-making and reliable infrastructure.
Consequences This could lead to additional conditions, oversight and consultation without automatically halting an individual project.
Right
Arguments A right-wing approach would chiefly emphasise that a construction site is not a freely accessible space for demonstrations and that breaches of property and safety rules must be addressed. Investment and economic development deserve predictability.
Values Public order, property rights, safety and economic freedom.
Consequences In this view, a soft response could encourage new occupations of sites; a tough response could further harden the social conflict over data centres.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The core event was confirmed by NOS and Reuters and falls within the past 48 hours. The numbers, the demonstrators’ positions and Microsoft’s response are attributed to the sources named.
- confirmed Dozens of activists entered a construction site for a Microsoft data centre in Amsterdam. — Reported by NOS and Reuters on 6 November 2026. source
- confirmed Demonstrators climbed a crane and the roof of the data centre under construction. — Observation by NOS reporter Danny Simons at the scene. source
- confirmed Around 30 police vans were present. — According to the NOS reporter at the scene. source
- confirmed Microsoft says it respects peaceful protest but condemns actions that harm the law or safety. — Microsoft’s response to NOS. source
Editor's note
It is certain that demonstrators entered the site and that some climbed a crane and the roof. The number of people present and the police deployment were reported by NOS; consequences for the construction schedule and any criminal offences had not yet been established.Sources
The story so far
- Friday, 6 November 2026, 09:44 Protest against mega data centre near Amsterdam’s Sloterdijk
- Friday, 6 November 2026, 12:45 Police intervene at protest against Microsoft data centre
- Friday, 6 November 2026, 13:43 Activists enter Microsoft construction site in Amsterdam (this article)
More on this in Dutch media
- AD — „amsterdam sloterdijk”
- de Volkskrant — „amsterdam sloterdijk”
- RTL Nieuws — „amsterdam sloterdijk”