Dozens of protesters wearing red, holding “Not One Drop For Data” signs stood alongside the road to the Pima County Fairgrounds Friday morning, to protest construction that’s started at the Project Blue data center site.
The demonstration began at 7.a.m on Brekke Road.
Chants of “Hey hey, ho ho, Project Blue has got to go,” could be heard in front of a closed silver cattle guard gate, where three security guards stood and observed.
Speakers like Vivek Bharathan with the No Desert Data Center Coalition expressed his frustration with the public process.
“We’ve been following every f-ing thing we were supposed to do. We’ve been showing up to public meetings, we have submitted public comments in record numbers,” Bharathan said. “The ACC has never seen as many comments as we provided them to vote down the deal between Beale and TEP, they went ahead anyway.”
Organizer Reed Spurling echoed that sentiment, stating that they feel betrayed by elected officials for working with TEP and Beale Infrastructure.
“The company told the Board and told us that if the city of Tucson voted down providing water service to this site, that the project would be done. So we organized over the summer and the Tucson city council unanimously voted it down. But that was a lie.” Spurling said.
At the June 17 Pima County Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisor Steve Christy asked representatives with Beale Infrastructure – the developers of Project Blue – what would happen if the annexation was not approved by the Tucson Mayor and Council.
Logan Craig, vice president of Beale’s development team said, “Annexation is a condition precedent to closing, if that annexation does not occur, we will not be closing on the land per the contract so it’ll remain county-owned property.”
Deputies kerfuffle
WATCH: Project Blue protestors clash with the Pima County Sheriffs Department officers
Shortly after 8 a.m., demonstrators tried to block construction vehicles from leaving the site. A deputy in an unmarked vehicle arrived to ask protesters to move out of the way.
The protesters responded with chants of “We respect the workers, we don’t respect the work,.”
After that, another unmarked vehicle and three marked Pima County Sheriff SUVs arrived at the scene. A total of five sheriff’s deputies attempted to ask protesters to move out of the way, citing concerns for safety while reassuring them that they were allowed to be there. Protesters ignored their requests and were moved out of the way by the deputies. PCSD left shortly after that.
Reports show that land prep of the 290-acre land began last week.
Last Friday, a Pima County judge tossed a lawsuit between the opponents of Project Blue and Pima County and its Planning and Zoning Commission that alleged county staff had violated state open meeting law.
On Monday, the same attorneys will face off against the Town of Marana and Town Clerk over a dispute over referendum petitions that were filed on behalf of Marana citizens who sought to undo a rezoning decision for Beale’s second developing data center in Pima County.
