Protests Target Microsoft Data Centre South of Copenhagen

Protesters will gather outside a Microsoft data centre south of Copenhagen on Saturday.

The demonstration targets the facility in Lille Skensved near Køge.

It runs from 14:00 to 16:00 with speeches and live music.

This protest is part of a larger campaign across Europe.

Activists in Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, and Finland are also holding protests.

Demonstrators are fighting against the environmental impact of large tech facilities.

They express concern over massive electricity and water use in Denmark.

Local residents also worry about noise, light pollution, and backup generator emissions.

Lukas Grundtvig from the Green Youth Movement co-organized the Danish event.

He called for a broader societal debate on resource usage.

Public pushback has already forced municipalities to drop several data centre projects.

In October, plans for a facility in Bjæverskov were cancelled.

Greve Municipality also abandoned a major data centre project that month.

Global data centres consumed about 4.5 trillion litres of water in 2025.

That figure comes from a recent United Nations University report.

Industry leaders admit they must improve communication with local communities.

Henrik Hansen directs the industry group Datacenter Industrien.

He acknowledged that developers have not listened well enough to residents.

Meanwhile, the Danish government is drafting a national strategy for data centres.

Minister for Business Martin Lidegaard is leading the work on this policy.