OAKLAND – Hundreds gathered recently in Oakland’s Fruitvale neighborhood to voice opposition over plans to build new data centers in the city. By the end of the night, a rift was exposed between a progressive Oakland councilwoman and leftists who want a ban on the controversial facilities.
During an Aug. 21 meeting organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation, members said the environmental and economic harm data centers, which help power emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, pose would continue Oakland’s history of actions negatively affecting the working class.
For weeks, the group has been organizing a “No Data Centers In Oakland” petition it says has garnered over 6,700 signatures…