Bikers and Bug-Lovers Join Forces to Fight a New Google Data Center

As data center protests break out across Europe, a mismatched band of campaigners is trying to block Google from building a sprawling new facility east of London.

By Joel Khalili | November 9, 2026

A coalition of motorcyclists and entomologists has united in opposition to a planned Google data center east of London, joining a growing wave of European data center protests.

The unlikely alliance reflects widening unease in 2026 over the rapid buildout of AI-era infrastructure and its costs to local communities—from land use and noise to energy consumption and environmental impact. This particular campaign targets a proposed Google facility in the Waltham Forest area, where residents and interest groups argue the development threatens green space and local habitats.

As similar demonstrations multiply across Europe, the case illustrates how opposition to data centers is drawing together disparate constituencies—many of whom had never previously coordinated—around a shared concern about large-scale tech development.

via Wired AI