Dublin and Helsinki Rallies Extend European Data Center Moratorium Push

Thousands of protesters marched in Dublin and about 1,300 gathered in Helsinki on Saturday, Nov. 7, extending a European campaign for a moratorium on new large data center projects.

In Dublin, marchers traveled from Parnell Square to Leinster House, the seat of Ireland’s parliament. Groups from Kildare, Waterford, Wicklow and Clare joined the protest.

In Helsinki, demonstrators marched past a Google office to Parliament House. Rallies were also held in the Finnish cities of Lahti, Tampere, Oulu, Jyväskylä and Turku.

The protests were part of Stop Dirty Data Centres’ Nov. 6–7 days of action. The campaign is seeking a moratorium, or temporary pause, on new large data center development across Europe while social and environmental concerns are addressed and communities have a say in what is built and where.

Organizers have raised concerns about the electricity and water demands of facilities used for artificial intelligence, as well as their effects on local communities. Dublin demonstrators called for the impact of new data centers to be assessed before more projects are approved.

The rallies followed a protest at a Microsoft-leased data center construction site in Amsterdam on Nov. 6, when about 100 demonstrators entered the site.

A march to the Scottish Parliament is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14.