Video: Protesters rally against data centres in Finland
Demonstrations were held in Helsinki, Lahti, Tampere, Oulu, Jyväskylä and Turku.
In Finland, protests against data centre construction took place over the weekend, with demand for a halt to new projects. Approximately 1,300 individuals participated in the demonstrations, primarily in Helsinki, according to police estimates on Saturday. Similar protests occurred in other major cities, including Lahti, Tampere, Oulu, Jyväskylä, and Turku, as reported by the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, the event's organizers.
Protesters expressed concern over the rapid announcement of data centre projects in Finland, noting that current regulations have not kept pace with the sector's growth. Sakari Bister, a key organizer of the "Rein in Data Centres" citizens' initiative, became increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of data centres during the summer.
He highlighted the negative effects on nature and overall consumption, as well as the frustration this has caused people. Bister emphasized the importance of securing sufficient electricity while preventing the situation from spiraling out of control.
Written by urgent.news from Yle News Finland's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
