Protesters Demand Freeze on Datacentre Projects in Tampere

Protesters gathered at Sorin aukio and marched to the Jugendtor at the south end of Keskustori in central Tampere on Saturday afternoon to demand that datacentre projects be frozen, Tamperelainen reported.

The demonstration was organised by a coalition including Stop datakeskuksille, Elokapina Tampere, Luontoliiton Metsäryhmä, Museia and Maan ystävät. Participants called for a halt to new datacentre approvals until shared national rules are in place. They demanded tighter environmental legislation, protection of natural areas from construction, and measures to secure electricity supply and curb price rises.

Saaga Veikkolainen warned in an Elokapina press release that "the datacentre boom pushed by tech giants has arrived at full speed both globally and now in Finland. The pace is accelerating, but the rules are missing." Veikkolainen said communities will bear the cost through higher bills and damaged nature.

The Tampere action is part of the Europe-wide Stop Dirty Data Centers campaign, with parallel protests planned in Helsinki, Oulu, Jyväskylä, Turku and Lahti.

The protest feeds a growing local debate about datacentre expansion. Tampere MP Sari Tanus has called for a 30% solar panel subsidy amid concerns over datacentre growth and its local impacts.