Photo by Microsoft headquarters was locked down on Monday after activists comprising of former and current employees stormed President Brad Smith’s office. The protestors were led by the ‘No Azure for Apartheid’ group, who demanded cancellation of cybersecurity and cloud computing support for Israel.
There were arrests made according to the FBI following office disruptions and heightened corporate security. The activists stormed building 34, where Smith’s office is located, chanting with banners and livestreaming a sit-in in the office on Twitch. The videos posted online showed the group accusing Smith of supporting genocide in Israel. The protesters appeared to serve the President with a mock legal summons alleging crimes against humanity.
Microsoft faces backlash from employees and activists over Israeli war support
According to the protest organizers, Microsoft is promoting genocide in Israel by supporting them with cloud computing and cybersecurity contracts. They aimed at forcing Microsoft to cancel those contracts, citing a report by the Guardian investigation. The report alleged that Microsoft services are used to process and store a large amount of data related to calls made by Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
President Brad Smith described the incident as storming for entering his office and concealing streaming devices before the sit-in began. The FBI has intervened and is reviewing the incident.
The protest group included past and current Microsoft employees who accused the company of complicity in war crimes via its collaborations. They argued that the company has worked with Israel’s military and defense sectors and demanded cancellation of contracts tied to the conflict in Israel.
Through an internal company memo, Microsoft acknowledged that it respects and supports the right to peaceful protest but does not tolerate disruptions at the workplace. The company continued to highlight that its partnership with Israel focused on cybersecurity, especially after the October 7 Hamas attack. The firm acknowledged the toll of the ongoing Gaza conflicts on civilians.
Microsoft requested Redmond police intervention, resulting in seven confirmed arrests, accusing them of trespassing. The No Azure for Apartheid group noted that it was not the first demonstration of the case. They previously disrupted a Build Developer conference and the company’s 50th anniversary celebrations. Monday’s protest marked the most direct confrontation, with President Smith’s office at the centre of dissent.
The group later acknowledged that the protests were intended to create awareness of Microsoft’s role in supplying technology that allegedly enables surveillance and targeting in the Israel-Gaza conflict. The arrested protestors have been released today.
Smith insisted that while protests are expected in a democratic environment, the company won’t allow actions that risk safety and security at its facilities. He noted that safety is an important line that they must not cross. Local enforcement authorities revealed that there were no reported injuries during the incident.
Last year, some Google employees stormed the New York and California offices to protest against Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion deal with the Israeli military and Amazon to supply cloud computing services. The No Tech for Apartheid group feared that the technology could be used to support military operations in Gaza. Google said the project was not related to military or intelligence operations. At least 28 employees were fired during the incident, and nine confirmed arrests were made.
The Monday incident reflects the ongoing scrutiny of major U.S. technology firms over their defense contracts. There has been increased demand for AI and cloud computing services in military operations, which puts companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google under the wrath of their employees and external critics.
