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Microsoft Terminates Employees Following Protests Over Israel Ties at Anniversary Event
In a move highlighting tensions surrounding tech company policies and geopolitical issues, Microsoft has reportedly terminated two employees after they staged protests during the company’s 50th-anniversary celebration last week. The employees voiced their condemnation of Microsoft’s support for Israel, disrupting speeches by top executives.
Employee Demonstrations Disrupt Speeches
During the anniversary event, software engineer Ibtihal Aboussad interrupted a speech by Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman with vocal protests. Subsequently, engineer Vaniya Agrawal spoke out during a question-and-answer session featuring Microsoft founder Bill Gates, CEO Satya Nadella, and former CEO Steve Ballmer.
Concerns Regarding AI Technology and Gaza
The basis of the protests stems from earlier reports indicating Microsoft’s commercial artificial intelligence (AI) is being utilized by the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza. This deployment of AI technology in a conflict zone has fueled ethical debates and internal dissent within the tech giant.
Aboussad’s Protest and Termination
As Mustafa Suleyman addressed the audience, Ibtihal Aboussad approached the stage and exclaimed, “How dare you celebrate when Microsoft is killing children?” Event staff promptly escorted her from the premises. According to No Azure for Apartheid, a group comprising current and former Microsoft employees, Aboussad was subsequently terminated from her position.
Agrawal’s Interjection and Dismissal
Vaniya Agrawal’s protest, directed at Gates, Ballmer, and Nadella, was met with disapproval from some attendees. Agrawal reportedly stated, “Fifty thousand Palestinians in Gaza have been murdered with Microsoft technology. How dare you? Shame on all of you for celebrating on their blood.” While Agrawal had previously submitted a resignation letter with a future effective date, Bloomberg reported that Microsoft accepted her resignation with immediate effect on Monday.
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“No Azure for Apartheid” Group Statement
No Azure for Apartheid issued a statement on Tuesday describing both Aboussad and Agrawal as “brave” for their actions. The group’s statement further urged workers to take a stand against corporate involvement in geopolitical conflicts, stating:
- “You can choose to speak up and organize; you can choose to reject abetment in genocide; you can choose to be on the right side of history and be brave like Ibtihal Aboussad and Vaniya Agrawal.”
- “Or, you can be silent while profiting from the suffering of Palestinian children. The choice is yours.”
The group also appealed to workers across industries, particularly in the tech sector, to demand their workplaces “divest from apartheid and genocide” and to “refuse to have your labor power apartheid and genocide,” aligning with the broader No Tech for Apartheid movement.