Microsoft has terminated software engineer Joe Lopez after he interrupted CEO Satya Nadella’s speech at the company’s annual Build developer conference in Seattle. Lopez protested Microsoft’s supply of technology to the Israeli military for use in the Gaza war.
The incident occurred during the opening minutes of the conference on Monday. Lopez was heard shouting at Nadella before being escorted out of the room. Following the disruption, Lopez sent a mass email to colleagues challenging Microsoft’s claims about the use of its Azure cloud computing platform in Gaza.
This was not an isolated incident, as several pro-Palestinian disruptions took place during the event, which drew thousands of software developers to the Seattle Convention Center. At least three executive talks were disrupted, with the company briefly cutting the audio of one livestreamed event. Protesters also gathered outside the venue.
This is not the first time Microsoft has taken action against employees protesting its work in Israel. In April, during the company’s 50th anniversary celebration, employees were fired for protesting the company’s involvement in Israel.
Microsoft acknowledged last week that it provided AI services to the Israeli military for the war in Gaza. However, the company stated that it had found no evidence that its Azure platform and AI technologies were used to target or harm people in Gaza.
The advocacy group No Azure for Apartheid, led by current and former Microsoft employees, claims that Lopez received a termination letter following his protest but was unable to access it. The group also alleges that Microsoft has blocked internal emails containing words such as ‘Palestine’ and ‘Gaza.’
Microsoft has not responded to requests for comment regarding its response to the protests. The four-day conference is set to conclude on Thursday.
