Microsoft employees staged a protest at the company’s east campus in Redmond, Washington, claiming its Azure software is used by the Israeli military to carry out operations in Gaza and surveil Palestinians. The protesters, organized by the No Azure for Genocide group, occupied a space they called the “Free Zone” and held signs that read “Join The Worker Intifada – No Labor for Genocide.”
The protests come after Microsoft said it was launching an independent investigation into allegations of Azure being used to surveil Palestinians. Demonstrators, including former employee Hossam Nasr, who was fired last year for organizing a vigil for Palestine outside the company’s offices, say there has been no adequate response from Microsoft.
Nasr, who worked at Microsoft for three years, personally witnessed Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif being targeted by the Israeli Defense Forces, which killed him in one of five media members killed earlier this month. He also claims that news revealed Microsoft stores mass surveillance data collected from Palestinian calls.
The protest is part of a broader push to educate people about Microsoft’s alleged link to genocide and encourage employees to speak out. While some employees sympathize with the protesters, others are skeptical about the impact of the protests.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/aug/19/microsoft-workers-protest-washington-israel