Seven individuals were arrested on Tuesday after occupying the office of Microsoft President Brad Smith, as part of ongoing protests against the company’s alleged involvement with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during the Gaza conflict, according to activist group No Azure for Apartheid. Among those arrested were current and former Microsoft employees. The group, named after Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, opposes the platform’s reported use by the IDF. A livestream showed police arresting the protesters inside, while others demonstrated outside. Smith confirmed that two of those arrested were Microsoft staff members.
This protest follows a series of demonstrations, including an incident last week where 18 were arrested at Microsoft’s headquarters. Earlier this year, Microsoft dismissed employees for disrupting company events in protest. The group is demanding the company sever ties with Israel and offer reparations to Palestinians.
The Guardian previously reported that Israel used Azure to store surveillance data from Palestinians. Microsoft has denied any violations of its terms of service and is conducting an external review. Smith reiterated Microsoft’s commitment to upholding its human rights standards and contractual obligations globally, promising transparency once the review concludes.
