Climate Activists Attack Microsoft Datacenter Project in Amsterdam with Acidic Balloons

In a dramatic escalation of protests against the growing energy demands of the tech industry, climate activists in the Netherlands have claimed responsibility for an attack on a datacenter construction site in Amsterdam, using water balloons filled with a corrosive chemical mixture. The incident marks a significant departure from the typically peaceful protests seen in the United States, such as picket signs and council meeting comments, highlighting the increasingly confrontational tactics being employed by some activist groups in Europe.

The Dutch branch of the international climate activist group Extinction Rebellion stated that it targeted a facility being built by UK-based Pure Data Centres Group on Thursday. The group said activists threw water balloons containing a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid, salt, and acrylic paint at the under-construction foundations. According to Extinction Rebellion, the mixture is designed to degrade the concrete and accelerate the corrosion of its steel reinforcement, aiming to physically sabotage the project.

Extinction Rebellion spokesperson Martijn Dekker justified the attack by arguing that datacenters and the artificial intelligence they power are exacerbating the climate crisis. He also linked the protest to broader geopolitical issues, stating the facilities play a role in what he described as the killing of Palestinians by Israel. “We must join forces and resist the anti-democratic power of this small group of the very wealthiest,” Dekker said in the group's press release. “Stopping the construction of this data center is a necessary step in that regard.” The group further argued that such datacenters are “superfluous,” claiming that while AI has some meaningful applications, the majority are undesirable, leading to job losses and the theft of artistic work.

The targeted project, once completed, is planned to consist of three 85-meter (279-foot) towers, each containing 26 MW of data halls, for a total site capacity of 78 MW. The site already has its own operational power substation, and development of the data halls began in January 2026. While Pure DC states the facility is fully leased without naming the tenant, local media have reported that Microsoft is the sole occupant. Amsterdam has imposed restrictions on new hyperscale datacenters, but Dutch media noted that the project’s three-tower design allowed it to fall below the threshold for a single hyperscale facility.

The immediate impact of the attack remains unclear. Dutch media reported that both Pure DC and emergency responders confirmed balloons were thrown at the site, but neither specified their contents. Pure DC told the Dutch newspaper NRC that the attack had no impact on construction and that it intends to pursue legal action against those responsible. NRC also reported that Extinction Rebellion plans to carry out similar attacks on other datacenter projects. “The world is on fire, and we are building yet another data center,” an Extinction Rebellion spokesperson told NRC. “It has to stop.”