Microsoft has fired two employees who organized an unauthorized vigil at the company’s headquarters for Palestinians killed in Gaza during Israel’s war with Hamas.
The two employees told The Associated Press they were fired by phone call late Thursday, several hours after a lunchtime event they organized at Microsoft’s campus in Redmond, Washington.
Both workers were members of a coalition of employees called “No Azure for Apartheid” that has opposed Microsoft’s sale of its cloud-computing technology to the Israeli government. But they contended that Thursday’s event was similar to other Microsoft-sanctioned employee giving campaigns for people in need.
“We have so many community members within Microsoft who have lost family, lost friends or loved ones,” said Abdo Mohamed, a researcher and data scientist. “But Microsoft really failed to have the space for us where we can come together and share our grief and honor the memories of people who can no longer speak for themselves.”
Microsoft said Friday it has “ended the employment of some individuals in accordance with internal policy” but declined to provide details.
Google earlier this year fired more than 50 workers in the aftermath of protests over technology the company is supplying the Israeli government amid the Gaza war. The firings stemmed from internal turmoil and sit-in protests at Google offices centered on “Project Nimbus,” a $1.2 billion contract signed in 2021 for Google and Amazon to provide the Israeli government with cloud computing and artificial intelligence services.
Why would you organise this on company headquarters without the consent of the company?
If you tell your employers that you hate the way they operate, what do you think is going to happen?
This is a Neoliberal anthem: rights are for citizens; employees need to sit down and STFU.
Why do we reject tyranny.gov, but embrace tyranny.com?
You can go on a protest whenever you want. Don’t expect your employers to be enthusiastic about it if you organise one in your workplace, however.
This.
It’s called a protest. Social movements protest to get a message across.
You think they’d get permission?
Also, this isn’t really a protest… A vigil. Microsoft is a trash corporation. None of this is surprising.
Well, given the kind of company, it’s not like you’d obtain a consent if you asked. They’re too busy getting that Israeli money.
If you work for a company, you’re a representative of that company. If you disagree with the businesses they work with, don’t work for that company.
Or if you really have a problem and want to express yourself, don’t do it at your workplace. It’s stupid.
I’m not. Corporate is paying for my work (and barely, at that, given current rates), not for my ethics or for my ethical standing before other people who might not work at the company. If you believe otherwise, you might have been brainwashed by corporate-paid education.
It’s literally how employment works. Unless you’re self-employed, you represent the people who pay you.
no I fucking do not you bootlicker
Last I checked we sell our labor power, not our entirety of our existence.
Ppl seem to rly want slavery modes of labor back again. Sad
Lol, what?
You represent your employers at work, not every waking hour.
Gotcha. Microsoft against vigils. Like I said I’m not surprised since it’s a garbage company.
I’m sorry that the facts don’t fit your narrative. It must be frustrating.