Microsoft has terminated two employees, Riki Fameli and Anna Hattle, who participated in a sit-in protest at the office of Brad Smith, the company’s vice chair and president. This dismissal follows an incident in which a group of seven protesters entered Smith’s office in Building 34, prompting Microsoft to temporarily lockdown the executive building. The protesters livestreamed their actions on Twitch and called for the company to sever ties with the Israeli government.
During the protest, both Fameli and Hattle, along with several other individuals, were arrested. Reports indicate that the group included former Microsoft employees Vaniya Agrawal, Hossam Nasr, and Joe Lopez, as well as a former Google employee and another tech worker. Following the arrests, a Microsoft spokesperson stated that the two employees were let go due to “serious breaches of company policies and our code of conduct,” although specific details of these breaches were not disclosed.
Shortly after the protest, Brad Smith held an emergency press conference in his office, addressing reporters and an online audience. He reaffirmed Microsoft’s commitment to upholding human rights and contractual obligations in the Middle East, mentioning that an investigation into the company’s practices was initiated in response to reports about its Azure cloud platform being potentially used for surveillance of Palestinians.
Previously, Hattle had been arrested during a protest at Microsoft’s headquarters, where 20 individuals were apprehended for a demonstration against Microsoft’s contracts with Israel. The recent protests were organized by a collective known as No Azure for Apartheid, which includes current and former Microsoft employees advocating for the company to cut its ties with Israel. The group has intensified its protests in recent months, including disruptions directed at the homes and offices of Microsoft executives.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/767251/microsoft-fires-two-employees-building-34-brad-smith-office-protest