Several pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested on Tuesday after they stormed the offices of Microsoft President Brad Smith — the newest escalation in a long-running campaign by employees to compel the firm to chop ties with Israel.
Seven demonstrators, amongst them two company employees, stormed Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Wash., on Tuesday and occupied Smith’s office.
The demonstrators refused orders to go away, delivering what they described as a “court summons” before hiding phones under couches and bookshelves to record the scene. Police eventually dragged them out, Smith said at a briefing.
“Obviously, when seven folks do as they did today — storm a constructing, occupy an office, block other people out of the office, plant listening devices … that’s not OK,” Smith said.
“That’s why for those seven folks, the Redmond police literally needed to take them out of the constructing.”
The motion was the newest in a series of escalating confrontations led by “No Azure for Apartheid,” a worker-driven campaign urging Microsoft to sever contracts with Israel.
The group accuses the corporate of enabling war crimes by allowing Israel to make use of its Azure cloud platform for surveillance and intelligence gathering.
Their demands intensified earlier this month after the British publication Guardian reported that Israel’s military used Microsoft’s cloud to store Palestinians’ phone calls — an allegation that prompted Microsoft to open a third-party investigation.
“We expect the responsible step is to research and get to the reality of how our services are getting used,” Smith said Tuesday.
He stressed that the majority of Microsoft’s work with the Israel Defense Forces involves cybersecurity, while reiterating the corporate’s commitment to “ethical” use of its technology.
However the protests show no signs of abating.
Over the weekend, activists turned up in kayaks on Lake Washington, circling the waterfront mansions of CEO Satya Nadella and Smith while unfurling banners accusing the corporate of cashing in on genocide in Gaza.
Days earlier, 20 protesters were arrested outside Microsoft’s campus, Smith said, noting that the majority had never worked at the corporate.
Internal emails reviewed by Bloomberg suggest the corporate is treating the campaign as a growing security threat.
Microsoft’s investigations unit reportedly flagged outspoken employees to the FBI’s Seattle office, even warning federal agents about relatives of staffers tied to demonstrations.
The corporate also worked with local officials to establish airport-style checkpoints, restrict access to public areas, and bar activist insignia at its annual Construct developer conference.
In April, those measures failed to stop two headline-grabbing disruptions.
Engineer Ibtihal Aboussad tossed a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf onto the stage during a keynote by AI chief Mustafa Suleyman.
Hours later, one other worker, Vaniya Agrawal, interrupted a panel with Nadella, Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. Each later resigned in protest.
The crackdown has also led to firings. Last October, Microsoft dismissed two employees, including software engineer Hossam Nasr, who had organized a lunchtime vigil and fundraiser for Gaza victims at the corporate’s headquarters.
Nasr has remained energetic within the “No Azure for Apartheid” campaign, publicly accusing Microsoft of complicity in genocide.
Microsoft insists it doesn’t punish employees for expressing political opinions but draws the road at what it considers threats or disruptions. Smith said the corporate will review whether the 2 employees who occupied his office should face discipline.
Microsoft is amongst several tech giants, including Google and Amazon, facing employee uprisings over lucrative government contracts tied to the Middle East.
Last 12 months, Google fired dozens of employees after they staged sit-ins over its Project Nimbus cope with Israel.
For Smith — once seen because the conciliatory face of Microsoft, known for forging bipartisan ties in Washington and promoting the corporate’s ethical use of artificial intelligence — the crisis represents a stern test of leadership.
He sought to balance sympathies on either side Tuesday, noting that Microsoft “cares deeply” about Israelis killed in Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack and the hostages taken, in addition to the tens of hundreds of Palestinians killed since in Gaza.
The Post has sought comment from Microsoft and “No Azure for Apartheid.”
Several pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested on Tuesday after they stormed the offices of Microsoft President Brad Smith — the newest escalation in a long-running campaign by employees to compel the firm to chop ties with Israel.
Seven demonstrators, amongst them two company employees, stormed Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Wash., on Tuesday and occupied Smith’s office.
The demonstrators refused orders to go away, delivering what they described as a “court summons” before hiding phones under couches and bookshelves to record the scene. Police eventually dragged them out, Smith said at a briefing.
“Obviously, when seven folks do as they did today — storm a constructing, occupy an office, block other people out of the office, plant listening devices … that’s not OK,” Smith said.
“That’s why for those seven folks, the Redmond police literally needed to take them out of the constructing.”
The motion was the newest in a series of escalating confrontations led by “No Azure for Apartheid,” a worker-driven campaign urging Microsoft to sever contracts with Israel.
The group accuses the corporate of enabling war crimes by allowing Israel to make use of its Azure cloud platform for surveillance and intelligence gathering.
Their demands intensified earlier this month after the British publication Guardian reported that Israel’s military used Microsoft’s cloud to store Palestinians’ phone calls — an allegation that prompted Microsoft to open a third-party investigation.
“We expect the responsible step is to research and get to the reality of how our services are getting used,” Smith said Tuesday.
He stressed that the majority of Microsoft’s work with the Israel Defense Forces involves cybersecurity, while reiterating the corporate’s commitment to “ethical” use of its technology.
However the protests show no signs of abating.
Over the weekend, activists turned up in kayaks on Lake Washington, circling the waterfront mansions of CEO Satya Nadella and Smith while unfurling banners accusing the corporate of cashing in on genocide in Gaza.
Days earlier, 20 protesters were arrested outside Microsoft’s campus, Smith said, noting that the majority had never worked at the corporate.
Internal emails reviewed by Bloomberg suggest the corporate is treating the campaign as a growing security threat.
Microsoft’s investigations unit reportedly flagged outspoken employees to the FBI’s Seattle office, even warning federal agents about relatives of staffers tied to demonstrations.
The corporate also worked with local officials to establish airport-style checkpoints, restrict access to public areas, and bar activist insignia at its annual Construct developer conference.
In April, those measures failed to stop two headline-grabbing disruptions.
Engineer Ibtihal Aboussad tossed a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf onto the stage during a keynote by AI chief Mustafa Suleyman.
Hours later, one other worker, Vaniya Agrawal, interrupted a panel with Nadella, Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. Each later resigned in protest.
The crackdown has also led to firings. Last October, Microsoft dismissed two employees, including software engineer Hossam Nasr, who had organized a lunchtime vigil and fundraiser for Gaza victims at the corporate’s headquarters.
Nasr has remained energetic within the “No Azure for Apartheid” campaign, publicly accusing Microsoft of complicity in genocide.
Microsoft insists it doesn’t punish employees for expressing political opinions but draws the road at what it considers threats or disruptions. Smith said the corporate will review whether the 2 employees who occupied his office should face discipline.
Microsoft is amongst several tech giants, including Google and Amazon, facing employee uprisings over lucrative government contracts tied to the Middle East.
Last 12 months, Google fired dozens of employees after they staged sit-ins over its Project Nimbus cope with Israel.
For Smith — once seen because the conciliatory face of Microsoft, known for forging bipartisan ties in Washington and promoting the corporate’s ethical use of artificial intelligence — the crisis represents a stern test of leadership.
He sought to balance sympathies on either side Tuesday, noting that Microsoft “cares deeply” about Israelis killed in Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack and the hostages taken, in addition to the tens of hundreds of Palestinians killed since in Gaza.
The Post has sought comment from Microsoft and “No Azure for Apartheid.”
