After hundreds of Ames residents gathered on Tuesday, June 30, to share our overwhelming opposition to the data center construction project recently proposed by Lightedge--and to building any data centers in Ames--the Ames City Council announced on Friday, July 10, that they will take no public comment on data centers at their upcoming meeting on Tuesday, July 14 at 6pm. At this meeting, their agenda indicates that they will discuss the public comments from the June 30 session and potentially vote on how to respond to Lightedge's proposal: moving forward with it, imposing new regulations first, delaying the decision, or declining.

We believe it is critically important for the council to know that their constituents remain united in opposition to any data centers in Ames. So on Tuesday, July 14, we invite you all to join us at 4pm in Bandshell Park for Donuts Not Data Centers: a community-organized gathering and protest. We will gather in the park, enjoy free donuts while supplies last, and hear from speakers involved in the fight against data centers in Ames and all across Iowa. Then, around 5pm, we will march together to City Hall. Bring a sign if you have one; bring a friend if you can. Just don't stay home!

A core principle behind this gathering and protest is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.  

If you can't make it in person on July 14, we encourage you to watch the City Council proceedings live on the official City of Ames YouTube channel, and spread the word about our protest on social media in the meantime. If you would like to support this event (to cover costs like printing flyers, reserving the park, providing donuts, etc.), you can contribute to the Heart of Iowa DSA fundraiser, with "DNDC" or "Donuts Not Data Centers" in the memo line.