Numerous Microsoft employees have taken over the East Campus in Redmond, Washington, to conduct operations in Gaza and protest the exploitation of software by Israeli forces for Palestinian surveillance.
Just three months post the initiation of an independent inquiry into the utilization of Azure software, current and former employees established a “free zone,” displaying placards with messages like “Join the Workers Intifada” and “Martyred Palestinian Children’s Plaza.”
The demonstration is organized by a group advocating for justice and demands Microsoft to divest from operations in Israel. Earlier this year, employee Joe Lopez interrupted a speech by CEO Satya Nadella at a developer conference.
“Satya, do you think Microsoft is complicit in killing Palestinians?” Lopez questioned.
Protester Hosam Nasr expressed on Tuesday his decision to escalate actions due to a lack of adequate response from Microsoft.
He emphasized that the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) seemed personally driven to act after the targeted killing of Al Jazeera journalist Anas Al Sharif, one of five media members killed during surgery earlier this month.
“He reported relentlessly on Gaza amidst the hunger and bombing campaigns. He was intentionally targeted,” Nasr stated.
“This happened the same week when the Guardian reported that Microsoft contained substantial surveillance data gathered from calls made by Palestinians.”
Recently, the Guardian and Israeli +972 magazine disclosed that Unit 8200, the Israeli military intelligence, utilized Azure to store numerous recordings of mobile conversations from Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.
The company claims it was not involved in “supervising civilians or collecting mobile conversations using Microsoft’s services.”
The Microsoft protests coincide with increasing caution from organizations, including the UN, regarding a “widespread crisis of hunger, malnutrition, and disease” in Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry estimates that at least 62,000 Palestinians have died since the IDF commenced operations following Hamas’ attack on October 7.
“Each second we delay, the situation in Palestine deteriorates,” stated Nasreen Jaradat, 29, a Microsoft employee.
She added: “People are increasingly hungry and suffering from bombings.”
The protest concluded about two hours later, with police instructing demonstrators to vacate or face arrest for trespassing.
A Microsoft spokesperson indicated that the group was “asked to leave, and they complied.”
The spokesperson mentioned there was nothing further to add to last week’s statement regarding the investigation initiated by Azle over alleged monitoring of Palestinians.
“Following these assessments, which included interviews with numerous employees and document reviews, there was no evidence of Microsoft’s Azure and AI technology being utilized to target or harm individuals in the Gaza conflict.”
Microsoft employs approximately 47,000 individuals in Redmond. Some read flyers distributed by activists on Tuesday, while others enjoyed lunch in nearby restaurants.
A 28-year-old employee observing the protests expressed sympathy but did not believe it would lead to substantial change.
“I doubt it will make a difference,” he stated.
Protesters believe their efforts contribute to raising awareness.
“We are fostering discussions among Microsoft employees, encouraging more open conversations about how their work may contribute to acts of genocide,” remarked another employee, Julius Shan, 28.
People are gradually understanding how the company’s activities correlate with genocide, he explained. “But that’s part of the learning process.”
Source: www.theguardian.com
