Microsoft Fires Two Employees for Unlawful Protest Against Company’s Alleged Support of Israeli Military

Microsoft has announced the termination of two employees who allegedly breached President Brad Smith’s office earlier this week. The decision comes after a group of seven current and former Microsoft employees staged a protest at the company’s Redmond, Washington, headquarters on Tuesday.

The protesters, affiliated with the group No Azure for Apartheid, demanded that Microsoft cease all support to Israel due to allegations that its military is using the company’s software as part of its operations in Gaza.

In a post on Instagram, No Azure for Apartheid confirmed the dismissal of Riki Fameli and Anna Hattle by the tech giant. In a statement, Microsoft stated, “Two employees were terminated today due to severe policy violations and a breach of our code of conduct.” The company added that it is investigating the unauthorized entry into executive offices, which it deemed inconsistent with employee expectations.

Following the protests, Smith alleged that the protesters obstructed access to his office, planted listening devices in the form of phones, and refused to leave until they were forcibly removed by law enforcement.

No Azure For Apartheid is a movement advocating for Microsoft to end its complicity in Israeli apartheid and genocide. Earlier this month, The Guardian reported that the Israeli military had used Microsoft’s Azure cloud infrastructure to store phone calls of Palestinians, prompting the company to commission a third-party investigation into potential surveillance activities.

Smith stated on Tuesday that the company would investigate how its services are being utilized. Last week, No Azure for Apartheid organized protests around the company’s campus, resulting in 20 arrests, with 16 of those individuals not employed by Microsoft.

Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that a Microsoft director had contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation regarding the recent protests. The actions taken by Microsoft follow Google’s termination of 28 employees last year in response to a series of protests against labor conditions and the company’s contract with the Israeli government and military for cloud computing and artificial intelligence services. In that instance, some employees had reportedly gained access to Thomas Kurian’s office, CEO of Google’s cloud unit.