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4d ago

Microsoft Build 2025 Disrupted by Employee Protests Over Israeli Contracts

Two high-profile demonstrations at the Seattle conference challenge Microsoft's AI and cloud agreements with the Israeli military, raising ethical concerns and calls for accountability.

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Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest outside the Microsoft Build conference at the Seattle Convention Center in Seattle, Washington on May 19, 2025. (Photo by Jason Redmond / AFP) (Photo by JASON REDMOND/AFP via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Microsoft firmware engineer Joe Lopez interrupted CEO Satya Nadella's keynote, accusing the company of enabling Israeli war crimes through its Azure cloud services.
  • A Palestinian tech worker disrupted a subsequent keynote by CoreAI head Jay Parikh, demanding Microsoft sever ties with the Israeli government.
  • The protests were organized by No Azure for Apartheid, a worker-led campaign opposing Microsoft's contracts with the Israeli military over alleged human rights violations in Gaza.
  • Microsoft maintains its contracts with Israel are standard commercial agreements and claims internal and external reviews found no evidence of technology misuse in Gaza.
  • Critics, including third-party investigations, argue Microsoft's technology supports Israeli military operations, intensifying employee activism and public scrutiny.