“Shut it down”: Protesters keep Hermantown council from Google data center vote
Residents protesting a proposed Google data center in Hermantown disrupted a City Council meeting, leading police to declare an unlawful assembly and preventing a vote. A rescheduled meeting was canceled as well, leaving the project’s approval unresolved.
Residents gathered at a Hermantown City Council meeting to oppose a proposed Google data center in northern Minnesota. Chanting "Shut it down," protesters prevented the council from holding a vote that officials said would clear the way for the project.
Police declared the gathering an unlawful assembly after about two hours and ordered protesters to leave. The council’s rescheduled meeting was later canceled, so no decision was made on the data center proposal. Residents said the protest allowed them to be heard after earlier meetings in which they felt the project had advanced without sufficient consideration.