Protesters stormed Microsoft’s Redmond headquarters on Monday, breaking into president Brad Smith’s office and triggering a temporary lockdown. The group, calling itself “No Azure for Apartheid,” livestreamed their sit-in on Twitch while chanting slogans, hoisting banners, and presenting Smith with a mock summons alleging “crimes against humanity.”
Smith later told reporters that of the seven people involved, only two were current Microsoft employees and one was a former Google worker. After refusing to leave when asked, Redmond police forcibly removed the group and arrested all seven on charges including trespassing and obstruction.
In a press conference beside his desk, Smith described the protest as “not necessary in order to get us to pay attention,” saying such tactics distract from Microsoft’s ongoing dialogue with employees of diverse backgrounds and faiths.
The Verge reported earlier that the protest included former staff dismissed for past activism, marking an escalation of long-running unrest over Microsoft’s cloud contracts with Israel. Recent investigations revealed Israel uses Microsoft services to store data from millions of daily Palestinian calls in Gaza and the West Bank.
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The action echoed earlier demonstrations at Google, where in April 2024 nine employees staged sit-ins against Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion cloud contract with Israel. That protest also ended in arrests and firings.
