Pro-Data Center Party Draws Crowd and Protests in Washington
On September 26, 2026, hundreds of people gathered in downtown Washington, DC, for Data After Dark: A Pro-Data Center Party, an event organized by Jonas Du, a writer for Pirate Wires. The party, co-hosted by Ed Tarnowski and Casey Given, drew over 1,000 attendees to PubKey, a bitcoin bar in Penn Quarter. The event featured themed cocktails, a generative AI photo booth, live music, and speeches from industry leaders.
The party aimed to celebrate and advocate for data centers, which are critical for hosting websites, cloud services, and AI technologies. Attendees included journalists, engineers, think tank staffers, and White House officials. Some came out of curiosity, while others were passionate supporters of data center expansion. The mood was optimistic, with attendees defending the industry against critics who cite water use, power grid strain, and noise as concerns.
Protesters disrupted the event, with three rushing the stage to deliver inaudible rants. One protester thanked the crowd for “using all of our water” before flipping double birds, while another attendee reportedly advised her to 'go on a diet.' Shouts of 'USA! USA!' and boos drowned out the protesters. The event also highlighted the broader public opposition to data centers, with a recent poll showing 61% of likely voters oppose building data centers to support AI.
Organizers and attendees emphasized the need for innovation and public education to address concerns. They argued that halting data center construction could harm the U.S.'s competitiveness, particularly in the race against China on AI. The party's co-hosts expressed hope that the event would spark a movement, with plans to take the party on the road to cities like New York, San Francisco, and Austin in 2027.