Data center opponents stage 142 protests across 42 US states

https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/us-data-center-protests-go-national-backlash-grows-2026-07-18/

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/50268143

July 18, 2026

Summary:

  • Organizers demand transparency, resource safeguards, community benefits and developer accountability
  • Only 14% back an AI data center in their community, June Reuters/Ipsos poll showed
  • Texas hosted 18 protests, the most of any state
  • Turnout lower than expected at some rallies, local organizers say
59 points · 5 comments · view on lemmy.world

5 Comments

FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca · 5 pts · 16d (2 replies)

Burn em down 🔥

daannii@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 15d (1 reply)

Have a nice fire themed playlist I played at the last Tesla dealership protest I went to.

Seems like I'll get more use out of it.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnQUDI2beEZ9rOVZ48pC5Lw1tBa1EgdEC

stringere@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 15d

♫ We're gonna start this fire
And we'll keep it burnin'
Long as the world's still turnin' ♫

corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca · -3 pts · 15d (1 reply)

I work with health data.

You want datacenters. Believe me you really want them. You don't want resources wasted on Ai, but this protest is about killing datacenters, and there is a baby in that bathwater.

Mcdolan@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 15d

Can you point out the baby? I'm pretty sure the overwhelming majority of these are "ai".