PART III: THE MOVEMENTS BEHIND THE MOVEMENT

This is Part III of an investigation into the rapidly growing movement against hyperscale data centers. Part I followed the local rebellion. Part II followed the organizations and money surrounding it. The next trail runs through the political movements increasingly organizing around the same technology companies and infrastructure.

Years before hyperscale data centers became a national political fight, activists were already targeting the companies whose technology now depends on them.

Amazon was being challenged over worker surveillance and labor conditions. Amazon Web Services was being challenged over police and immigration contracts. Mijente was targeting technology companies working with ICE. MediaJustice was organizing around surveillance and policing. Google employees were organizing around workplace issues and the use of company technology.

Then Project Nimbus brought Palestine activism deeper into that Big Tech organizing world.

The campaign against the Israeli government cloud contract connected Palestine-focused organizations with workers inside Amazon and Google and with activists already accustomed to challenging technology companies through contracts, employees and corporate pressure. Those relationships continued as campaigns expanded into ICE, surveillance, artificial intelligence and military technology.

By 2026, organizations involved in these fights were openly calling for the movements to be joined. Organizers were putting Gaza, deportation, surveillance, climate, artificial intelligence and data centers into the same programs and describing them as connected political fights.

That’s where Part III begins.

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