Microsoft Fires Employees Over Protest
Microsoft released two employees on Wednesday after they broke into the office of the company’s deputy chairman and president as part of a protest against the company’s alleged connections to Israel.
Background of the Protest
The dismissals came after a group of seven people broke into the Executive Offices on Tuesday in the global headquarters of Microsoft in Redmond, Washington to hold a sit-in. The group, organized by Microsoft Employees, claimed that the company’s Azure Cloud platform was being used by the Israeli military to monitor Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
Arrests and Firings
The demonstrators who were arrested by the police on Tuesday reported that the Israeli military uses the Azure Cloud platform from Microsoft to monitor the Palestinians. Two employees were fired after serious violations of corporate guidelines and the company’s code of conduct. The employees were identified as Anna Hattle and Riki Fameli, who were involved in the illegal break-in and were arrested twice by the authorities on Microsoft’s premises.
Investigation and Response
During a press conference on Wednesday, the company’s president said that Microsoft initiated a formal examination of the reported use of Azure by Israel. The company endeavors to ensure that its human rights principles and contractual terms of use are confirmed in the Middle East.
Ongoing Protests
The protests against Microsoft’s use of technology by the Israeli military have been taking place for months. Police last week arrested 18 people after a similar protest in the company’s Redmond headquarters. The conflict between Israel and Hamas has resulted in the deaths of over 60,000 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health.
