Data Center Opponents Stage Halloween Protest at City Hall
Activists from the No Data Centers in Philly coalition held a Halloween-themed protest outside Philadelphia City Hall, urging City Council to impose a moratorium on data center development. The group is concerned about environmental, public health, financial and surveillance impacts, while city officials are awaiting recommendations from a task force expected to report next summer.
Members of the No Data Centers in Philly coalition gathered outside Philadelphia City Hall in a Halloween-themed demonstration featuring masks of Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg, costumes and informational flyers. Organizers lobbied City Council to halt data center development before projects are proposed at sites such as the Bellwether District and 2600 Grant Avenue near Northeast Philadelphia Airport.
Philadelphia currently has no hyperscale data centers, but activists fear developers could move quickly to secure projects before new regulations are adopted. Mayor Cherelle Parker created a task force after an earlier protest to develop data center guidelines, with a report expected next summer. Alex Bomstein of the Clean Air Council said the city should enact a moratorium first, while council members have indicated they want to wait for the task force's recommendations. Protesters also raised concerns about energy, environmental and public health effects and the use of data centers to store surveillance data affecting immigrant communities.