100 Protests Across Europe Target Data Centre Expansion

Residents in Waterford and Kildare are preparing to join a coordinated protest movement that spans 16 European countries. The demonstrations, scheduled for Saturday, are designed to challenge the rapid expansion of data centres. Organisers estimate that nearly 100 separate events will take place across the continent this weekend.

The conflict has moved from local planning disputes to a coordinated political demand. Friends of the Earth Ireland is organising the Dublin event, which will call on the government to impose a temporary halt on new data centre projects.

In Kilmeaden, Co. Waterford, the local opposition group, Kilmeaden Says No, is travelling to the capital. The group opposed a proposed data centre site on the former location of the village’s cheese factory. Planning permission for that specific site was refused two weeks ago. However, Amanda Power, a member of the group, expects the developers to appeal the decision within the next week.

Power noted that developers have invested heavily in planning and design. She stated that an appeal would not represent a significant financial burden for them. The group has previously organized hundreds of objections, protests, and slow drive-by demonstrations to voice their concerns.

In Naas, Co. Kildare, residents face a different but related challenge. Lesley Cowper of Data Centre Awareness Kildare is campaigning to overturn a zoning decision. This decision allows for large tracts of land to be designated for data centre development. Cowper lives within a 20-minute walk of the proposed site. She noted that the development could be located 130 metres from the border of her property.

Cowper described the proximity as practically placing a data centre in the town. She and other residents in Naas are joining the Saturday protest to amplify their voices. The community felt that local councillors had shown little engagement with their concerns regarding the zoning change.

Cowper said the council’s initial view was that the project would guarantee jobs and investment. She stated that the project seemed like a foregone conclusion, with little attention paid to the people living in the area.

Power observed a shift in public awareness over the last year. She said that when the Kilmeaden application was first submitted, some residents did not understand what a data centre was or the resources it consumed. Power stated that many now see the primary benefit going to large technology companies, with little return for local people.

The Dublin rally will begin at midday at the Garden of Remembrance. It is part of a wider international movement. Similar protests are occurring in Australia, India, Indonesia, and Chile. In the United States, data centres became a central issue in the midterm elections held this week, contributing to the loss of seats for several Republican representatives.

Rosi Leonard, a spokeswoman for Friends of the Earth Ireland, stated that a moratorium on new data centres should be common sense. She cited rising energy bills and the locking in of new fossil fuel generation as key reasons for the halt. She also noted that workers’ rights are being undermined by expensive bets on artificial intelligence. Leonard said the group is proud to join other countries asking who benefits from the buildout and who pays the price.