Two Microsoft employees were fired and arrested after they occupied the office of company President Brad Smith to protest the tech giant's business ties with ‘Israel’.

 

The protest, organized by the group "No Azure for Apartheid," was part of a series of escalating actions demanding that Microsoft sever its contracts with the ‘Israeli’ military and government.

 

Anna Hattle and Riki Fameli were terminated for what a Microsoft spokesperson called "serious breaches of company policies and our code of conduct" and a "break-in at the executive offices".

 

The two were among a group of seven protesters, including former Microsoft workers, who were arrested after refusing to leave the office in Building 34 at the company's Redmond headquarters.

 

The group live-streamed their protest on Twitch, unfurling banners and chanting "Brad Smith you can't hide, you're supporting genocide!".

 

They also posted a mock legal notice titled "The People's Court Summons Bradford Lee Smith on Charges of Crimes Against Humanity" to the building's entrance.

 

In a statement, Anna Hattle said the protest was necessary because "Microsoft continues to provide Israel with the tools it needs to commit genocide while gaslighting and misdirecting its own workers about this reality".

 

Following the incident, President Smith held an impromptu press conference at his desk, stating that while the company respects "the freedom of expression," he drew a clear line at occupying an office and locking others out, calling it "not ok".

 

Smith also said the protest "distracts from the real dialogue" the company is having internally.

 

The protest is the latest in a series of demonstrations that have led to firings and arrests. In April, two other employees were fired after they interrupted Microsoft's 50th-anniversary celebration to protest its AI contracts with the ‘Israeli’ military.

 

Microsoft has also reportedly taken measures to quell dissent, including requesting help from the FBI to track protests and deleting internal emails containing words like "Gaza" and "Palestine".

 

The activists' demands are rooted in Microsoft's long-standing contracts with the ‘Israeli’ government, including a three-year, $133 million deal with the ‘Israeli’ Ministry of Defense.

 

A joint media investigation has revealed that ‘Israel's’ military intelligence unit, Unit 8200, used Microsoft's Azure cloud software to store millions of intercepted phone calls from Palestinians. This data was reportedly used to "help select targets" for airstrikes in Gaza and the West Bank.