Microsoft terminates 4 employees for Israel-related protests, group claims fired employees received voicemails saying …
Microsoft has fired two more employees – Nisreen Jardat and Julius Shan for a sit-in protest at President Brad Smith’s office against the software giant’s business ties to Israel. The protest, organised by No Azure for Apartheid demanded Microsoft to terminate its ties with Israel and offer reparations to Palestine. The development comes a day after the company fired two workers – Riki Fameli and Anna Hattle after participating in the protest, taking the total number of employees fired by Microsoft to four. According to a Reuters report, Anna Hattle and Riki Fameli received voicemails informing them that they were fired. Microsoft said the employees were terminated “due to serious violations of established company policies and our code of conduct,” including the sit-in that “created significant safety concerns for our employees.”Members of No Azure for Apartheid shared a post on X (formerly Twitter), informing about the latest termination. In a press conference on August 28, the group said that the firings were an attempt to silence workers’ voices. The activist group said Microsoft misrepresented its protest, further accusing the company of bringing in security and police, which made the situation worse. Redmond police arrested seven people during August 26’s sit-in on charges of trespassing, resisting arrest, and obstruction.
What Microsoft said on firing of employees
Microsoft issued a statement when it fired Riki Fameli and Anna Hattle on August 27. However, there is no update from the company on the latest firing of Nisreen Jardat and Julius Shan.Announcing the termination of the employees, the company then said:“Two employees were terminated today following serious breaches of company policies and our code of conduct. The first violated the Business Conduct Policy, participated in the unlawful break-in at the executive offices, and other demonstrations on campus, and was arrested by authorities on our premises on two occasions. The second was involved in the break-in at the executive offices and was subsequently arrested. These incidents are inconsistent with the expectations we maintain for our employees. The company is continuing to investigate and is cooperating fully with law enforcement regarding these matters.”
Why workers protested at Microsoft building
The group No Azure for Apartheid, named after Microsoft’s Azure software, has called on the company to cut ties with Israel and provide financial aid to Palestinians. A joint media investigation by The Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Local Call reported that the Azure software is used by an Israeli military surveillance agency. The investigation goes on to claim that the agency utilized Azure to store recordings of phone calls made by Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza and for the broader surveillance of Palestinians.“We are here because Microsoft continues to provide Israel with the tools it needs to commit genocide while gaslighting and misdirecting its own workers about this reality,” Hattle said in a statement.
