Microsoft has terminated the employment of two software engineers involved in a sit-in protest at the office of Vice Chair and President Brad Smith. The employees, Riki Fameli and Anna Hattle, were among a group of seven demonstrators who occupied Smith’s office in Building 34 yesterday.
The protest prompted Microsoft to temporarily secure its executive building. The demonstration was live-streamed on Twitch, with activists demanding that the company sever ties with the Israeli government. During the protest, Fameli and Hattle were among those arrested, including former Microsoft staff members Vaniya Agrawal, Hossam Nasr, and Joe Lopez, along with a former Google employee and another tech professional.
A Microsoft spokesperson, speaking to GeekWire, confirmed the dismissal of the two employees, citing “serious breaches of company policies and our code of conduct.” The company declined to offer a statement to Technology News.
Following the arrests, Brad Smith conducted an emergency press conference in his office, addressing reporters and a YouTube audience. He emphasized Microsoft’s commitment to human rights principles and contractual obligations in the Middle East, noting that an investigation had been launched earlier this month after concerns arose regarding the use of Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform for the surveillance of Palestinians, as reported by The Guardian.
Anna Hattle had previously been arrested during demonstrations at Microsoft’s headquarters the prior week, where a group occupied a plaza and drew attention to the company’s contracts with Israel, resulting in 20 arrests by local police. Protesters at that event created a makeshift “Liberated Zone” and displayed their dissent by covering a Microsoft sign with red paint.
These recent protests were organized by “No Azure for Apartheid,” a coalition of current and former Microsoft employees urging the company to sever its relationship with the Israeli government. Over the past few months, this group has staged various demonstrations, with recent actions affecting the homes and offices of Microsoft executives.
