A Microsoft employee was arrested during recent protests at the company’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington. The demonstrations, organized by a group called No Azure for Apartheid, included current and former Microsoft employees as well as community members. They took over a plaza at Microsoft’s headquarters to express their opposition to the company’s contracts with Israel. Reports indicate that at least one Microsoft employee was among 18 individuals arrested during the second day of protests.
On the second day, protesters set up a “Liberated Zone” encampment and reportedly poured red paint over a Microsoft sign. According to the Redmond Police Department, some protesters blocked a pedestrian bridge and attempted to create barriers using tables and chairs. Although the first day of protests concluded without significant incidents, police noted that the situation grew more aggressive on the second day, leading to multiple arrests.
Among those arrested was Anna Hattle, a software engineer on Microsoft’s cloud and AI team. Abdo Mohamed, an organizer for No Azure for Apartheid, confirmed her arrest, as well as those of former employees Hossam Nasr and Vaniya Agrawal. The protesting group stated that those arrested included individuals from various backgrounds connected to Microsoft as well as the Seattle community.
These protests followed a recent investigation by The Guardian, in collaboration with +972 Magazine and Local Call, which highlighted that the Israeli government uses Microsoft’s cloud services to store recordings of potentially up to one million calls made by Palestinians each hour. In response to the protests, a Microsoft spokesperson indicated that the company is conducting an independent review of allegations regarding the use of its Azure platform in Israel, emphasizing its commitment to uphold human rights standards.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/763261/microsoft-employee-arrested-headquarters-protest-redmond-police