Microsoft Terminates Employee Who Protests Company’s Israel Military Ties
Microsoft has fired software engineer Joe Lopez after he interrupted CEO Satya Nadella’s speech at the company’s annual Build developer conference in Seattle. The protest was related to Microsoft’s work with the Israeli military during the Gaza conflict.
During the opening minutes of the conference on Monday, Lopez was heard shouting at Nadella before being escorted out of the room. He later 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 the conference saw multiple pro-Palestinian disruptions. At least three executive talks were interrupted, 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, the company fired employees who protested at its 50th anniversary party.
Microsoft acknowledged last week that it provided AI services to the Israeli military for the war in Gaza. However, the company stated 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 employees, claims Lopez received a termination letter after his protest. The group also alleges that Microsoft has blocked internal emails containing words like “Palestine” and “Gaza.”
Microsoft has not responded to requests for comment regarding the protests and subsequent actions.
The four-day conference is set to conclude on Thursday.
