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Worker-led protests have bubbled up at Microsoft in opposition to the Israeli military’s alleged use of the company’s software.
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Microsoft has terminated four employees who participated in protests on company premises against the firm’s ties to Israel.
The news comes after seven people, current and former Microsoft employees, staged a sit-in inside President Brad Smith’s office at the company’s Building 34 in Redmond, Washington. The group staged the protest in opposition to the Israeli Defence Force’s (IDF) alleged use of the company’s Azure cloud software as part of its war in Gaza.
What you need to know about the Microsoft protests
The flashpoint came following a report by The Guardian that Unit 8200, Israel’s military intelligence unit, was allegedly using Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform to store and analyze vast amounts of Palestinian phone call data.
Microsoft denied that its contracts allowed such use and hired the Washington law firm Covington & Burling LLP to conduct an independent fact-finding review, but the story fueled anger among a small group of employees.
At a press conference, Smith insisted the company was taking the claims seriously, saying Microsoft is “committed to ensuring that our human rights principles … are upheld in the Middle East.”
No Azure for Apartheid
The revelations galvanized a grassroots worker collective called No Azure for Apartheid, which began organizing petitions, vigils, and demonstrations demanding that Microsoft:
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- End contracts with the IDF and Israeli government. Employees want Microsoft to cancel all Azure and other service agreements that directly support Israeli defense operations or government functions.
- Full transparency on partnerships. The group is calling for Microsoft to publish a clear accounting of all relationships with the Israeli state, defense contractors, and weapons manufacturers, and to allow independent auditing of its contracts.
- Publicly support a ceasefire in Gaza. Organizers say Microsoft leadership should use its platform to join calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.
- Protect pro-Palestinian voices at work. Workers have asked for guarantees that employees will not face retaliation for discussing Gaza internally, taking part in solidarity actions, or fundraising for Palestinian causes.
The group’s actions escalated quickly. In May 2025, former Microsoft engineer Joe Lopez interrupted CEO Satya Nadella during the company’s Build conference, shouting: “Satya, how about you show how Microsoft is killing Palestinians.”
By August 2025, activists had set up an encampment at the Redmond campus, with signs reading “Join the Worker Intifada – No Labor for Genocide.”
An escalation
On August 26, demonstrators took their protest to Building 34, home to Brad Smith’s office. They livestreamed the sit-in, hanging banners and renaming the office the “Mai Ubeid Building” in memory of a Palestinian engineer killed in Gaza.
Microsoft quickly locked down the building, according to industry publication The Verge, and police arrested seven people, including current employees, software engineers Anna Hattle and Riki Fameli. All were released the same evening.
According to Times of India, on 28 August 2025, two other employees, former Senior embedded escalation engineer, Nisreen Jaradat, and senior product manager, Azure Sphere (IoT), Julius Shan, were also dismissed.
Smith later told reporters: “We respect the freedom of expression … as long as they do it lawfully … we need to keep our facility secure.”
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The following day, Microsoft terminated Hattle and Fameli’s employment, citing “serious breaches of company policies and our code of conduct.”
