Microsoft drops the hammer: 4 workers fired after bold headquarters sit-in protest

Microsoft fired two more employees on Thursday, after firing two others the day before, following a protest at its headquarters. The firings came after a break-in at the office of Brad Smith, Microsoft’s vice chair and company president, earlier this week.

Microsoft said the employees were fired due to serious violations of company policies and the code of conduct, including participating in on-site demonstrations that created safety concerns, as reported by CBS News.

A group of seven people broke into executive offices at Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington headquarters on Tuesday to hold a sit-in. The group was organized by No Azure for Apartheid, an advocacy group. They said participants included current and former employees of Microsoft, Google, and Oracle, as per the Instagram post by No Azure for Apartheid.

Microsoft employees arrested for protest

The protesters were demanding Microsoft cut ties with Israel, after The Guardian reported that an Israeli military unit uses Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform to surveil Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. All the protesters were arrested by police during the sit-in on Tuesday, as per the reports.

Microsoft explained that one fired employee violated the Business Conduct Policy, participated in the unlawful break-in, joined other demonstrations on campus, and had been arrested twice on company premises. The second fired employee was also involved in the executive office break-in and was subsequently arrested.

ALSO READ: Lotus to cut 550 UK jobs as sportscar maker restructures amid tariffs and market pressure

On Thursday, Microsoft said it is continuing investigations, working with law enforcement, and emphasized that such conduct is entirely unacceptable and goes against company values. No Azure for Apartheid named two fired employees as Anna Hattle and Riki Fameli in an Instagram post.

Microsoft probes Azure as protests continue

During a Wednesday press conference, Brad Smith said Microsoft has launched a formal investigation into Israel’s reported use of Azure. Smith emphasized that Microsoft is committed to human rights principles and ensuring its contractual terms of service are upheld in the Middle East.

Protests against Microsoft over Israel’s military use of its technology have been happening for months. Last week, police arrested 18 people after a similar protest at Microsoft’s Redmond headquarters.

Background

Israel launched its war against Hamas in Gaza after a terrorist attack by Hamas on Oct 7, 2023, as stated by the reports. The Hamas attack killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and took 251 hostages into Gaza. The war has killed over 60,000 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, according to the report by CBS News.

FAQs

Q1. Why did Microsoft fire 4 employees recently?
Microsoft fired them for breaking company rules, taking part in a protest, and entering executive offices without permission.

Q2. What was the protest at Microsoft about?
Employees protested against Microsoft’s ties to Israel after reports said its Azure cloud was used to surveil Palestinians.