Microsoft Fires Two Employees After Office Occupation Protest Over Israeli Ties

In a dramatic display of tech worker activism, two Microsoft employees were terminated after staging a three-hour occupation of President Brad Smith's office. The protest, which took place at Microsoft's Redmond, Washington headquarters, was a direct action against the company's alleged ties to the controversial Project Nimbus and its broader involvement with the Israeli government.

Madiha Latif and Joey Van der Pluijm, the two employees, were part of the 'No Tech for Apartheid' campaign.

Their daring move on a recent Monday saw them enter Smith's office and refuse to leave, demanding that Microsoft withdraw from Project Nimbus—a substantial $1.2 billion cloud computing and AI contract awarded to Google and Amazon, but which critics argue implicates Microsoft through its ecosystem and support infrastructure.

The activists specifically called for an end to Microsoft's "complicity in genocide."

This bold occupation was not an isolated incident but followed a smaller protest a week prior, indicating escalating tensions and a deepening resolve among a segment of Microsoft's workforce. The 'No Tech for Apartheid' movement asserts that these technology contracts provide critical infrastructure that supports human rights abuses, a claim fiercely disputed by the companies involved.

Microsoft swiftly confirmed the terminations, stating that the employees' actions violated company policy.

While Microsoft has not directly been named as a recipient of the Project Nimbus contract itself, the protest highlights a growing trend where tech workers are holding their employers accountable for their business dealings, especially those with military and government entities deemed controversial.

The incident underscores the increasing pressure on major technology corporations to re-evaluate the ethical implications of their contracts and partnerships.

As the lines between technology development and geopolitical conflict blur, employee activism is emerging as a powerful force challenging corporate decisions and demanding greater transparency and moral responsibility from the tech giants that shape our world.