Microsoft Fires Employee Who Interrupted CEO Satya Nadella at Build 2025 to Protest Company’s Israel Business
Microsoft has terminated the employment of Joe Lopez, a firmware engineer in Azure Hardware Systems and Infrastructure (AHSI), after he disrupted CEO Satya Nadella’s keynote speech during the Build 2025 event. Lopez was escorted out of the conference venue after interrupting Nadella, saying, “Satya, how about you show how Microsoft is killing Palestinians?” and “How about you show how Israeli war crimes are powered by Azure?”
The incident occurred during Nadella’s keynote address at the Build 2025 event. Lopez’s protest was part of a larger pattern of disruptions at the conference, with at least three other addresses being interrupted by pro-Palestine protesters. Demonstrators also gathered outside the venue in Seattle.
Following his removal from the event, Lopez sent a mass email to his colleagues explaining his actions. He stated that Microsoft, as a major technology company, has significant influence to “demand an end to this senseless tragedy” in reference to the Israel-Gaza conflict. Lopez disputed Microsoft’s claims that its Azure technology is not being used to harm people in Gaza, referencing the company’s admission of providing the Israel Ministry of Defence with “special access” to its technologies beyond commercial agreements.
Lopez also addressed a recent Microsoft blog post claiming that an internal audit found no evidence of Azure and AI technologies being used to target or harm people in the Gaza conflict. He described the company’s statement as “fall[ing] far short of what we are demanding” and expressed skepticism about the transparency and credibility of Microsoft’s internal investigation.
This incident is not the first instance of Microsoft employees protesting the company’s involvement with Israel. In April, another Microsoft engineer, Vaniya Agrawal, interrupted a company event celebrating Microsoft’s 50th anniversary, questioning the company’s alleged role in Israel’s actions in Gaza. Agrawal was subsequently terminated along with another engineer, Ibtihal Aboussad, who disrupted a speech by Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman.
The company has faced internal controversy over its handling of discussions related to Palestine and Gaza. Reports emerged that Microsoft began filtering internal emails containing words like “Palestine,” “Gaza,” and “genocide” to restrict discussions on these topics within the company’s email servers.
Microsoft’s actions against these employees highlight the company’s firm stance on workplace conduct during official events while also raising questions about freedom of expression and corporate responsibility in complex geopolitical issues.
