Stop dirty datacenters: Europe-wide protests planned as campaigners demand building moratorium
Two days of coordinated action
Campaigners opposing datacenter expansion are organizing events across Europe on November 6 and 7. More than 100 groups in 15 countries are taking part, with activities including demonstrations, public meetings, stalls, petitions, walking tours, cycle rides and poetry readings.
The coalition has created an interactive map on stopdirtydatacentres.eu showing event details and locations. Planned actions include events in Ireland, Poland, Denmark, Finland, Spain, the Netherlands, France and the UK. A march to the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh is planned for November 14.
UK events highlight local projects
In central London, organizers plan a photocall outside the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero at 8am on November 6. The following day, a Community Day of Action is planned on Brick Lane, where a datacenter is proposed for the former Truman Brewery site.
A family event is also scheduled for November 7 at St Michaels & All Angels Church in Great Torrington, Devon. It will draw attention to plans for a 1.5 GW data campus and battery storage on 850 acres of farmland near the town.
Campaigners seek a moratorium
Organizers say the projects could affect communities, public infrastructure, land, water and energy use, as well as housing, jobs and the cost of living. They argue that governments and technology companies are moving ahead without sufficient scrutiny of environmental, democratic and social consequences.
Campaigners want a Europe-wide pause on new large-scale projects until clear rules are established for deciding whether facilities should be built and under what conditions. They also call for proper oversight and meaningful public participation.
Political debate over datacenters
Oliver Hayes, head of campaigns at Global Action Plan (UK), said developers were pursuing projects despite their consequences and described them as a major claim on scarce land, water and power. He said a moratorium was reasonable while governments had not answered basic questions about the number, purpose and location of datacenters or how pollution would be avoided.
The UK government has tied economic growth plans to AI and wants more datacenters built. It has used its powers to overturn local council refusals of planning permission for server farm projects. Omdia analyst Alan Howard said datacenters became a convenient political target in US election campaigns.
Key points
- More than 100 groups in 15 European countries plan actions on November 6 and 7.
- Campaigners are demanding a moratorium on new large-scale datacenter projects.
- UK events will focus on proposed developments in London and near Great Torrington, Devon.
- The UK government supports building more datacenters as part of its AI and growth plans.