Microsoft terminates two employees for illegally entering the President's office; says: These incidents are ...

Two Microsoft employees were terminated on Wednesday, August 27, after their participation in a sit-in at the company president's office, a protest against the tech giant's business ties to Israel. The employees, Anna Hattle and Riki Fameli, were reportedly among seven protesters who occupied the office of Microsoft President Brad Smith on Tuesday. According to the activist group No Azure for Apartheid, Hattle and Fameli received voicemails informing them of their termination. A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed the dismissals, citing "serious breaches of company policies and our code of conduct" related to "the break-in at the executive offices."

The other five protesters arrested during the sit-in were identified as former Microsoft workers or individuals unaffiliated with the company.

Microsoft statement on firing of the two employees

“Two employees were terminated today following serious breaches of company policies and our code of conduct. The first violated the Business Conduct Policy, participated in the unlawful break-in at the executive offices, and other demonstrations on campus, and was arrested by authorities on our premises on two occasions. The second was involved in the break-in at the executive offices and was subsequently arrested. These incidents are inconsistent with the expectations we maintain for our employees. The company is continuing to investigate and is cooperating fully with law enforcement regarding these matters.”

What are protesters demands

The protest group No Azure for Apartheid has demanded that Microsoft sever its ties with Israel and provide reparations to Palestinians. The group's name references Microsoft's Azure cloud software, which a joint media investigation by The Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Local Call reported is used by an Israeli military surveillance agency. The investigation claimed the agency utilized Azure to store recordings of phone calls made by Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza and for the broader surveillance of Palestinians.

"We are here because Microsoft continues to provide Israel with the tools it needs to commit genocide while gaslighting and misdirecting its own workers about this reality," Hattle said in a statement.

In response to the media investigation, Microsoft announced this month that it had hired the law firm Covington & Burling LLP to conduct a review.

Two employees terminated in April due to similar protests
The firings of Hattle and Fameli follow a similar incident in April when two other Microsoft employees were also terminated after a pro-Palestinian protest interrupted a company event. The latest firings highlight a growing trend of employee activism within the company and come amid widespread protests at corporations and universities over their connections to Israel.

Microsoft President Brad Smith addressed the protests on Tuesday, stating, "we respect the freedom of expression that everyone in this country enjoys as long as they do it lawfully."