Microsoft fired four radical anti-Israel employees following a series of disruptions on the company’s campus, including when a group stormed and occupied the office of its president, Brad Smith.
Seven agitators, including the two Microsoft employees, Anna Hattle and Riki Fameli, and a former Google employee, broke into Smith’s Redmond, Washington, office on Tuesday, then locked and barricaded the door with chairs and tables. They livestreamed their demand that he appear in “the people’s court” for his “crimes against humanity,” including “complicity in genocide” and assisting in “kidnap and torture.” The agitators said his “failure to appear will result in increased escalations against yourself and all Microsoft executives.”
Police stormed in shortly thereafter, clashed with the agitators, and arrested the group, resulting in an abrupt end to the live feed. The two Microsoft employees were fired the next day, a company spokeswoman told the Washington Free Beacon.
“Two employees were terminated today following serious breaches of company policies and our code of conduct,” she said. “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,” the spokeswoman added.
Following Tuesday’s disruption, Smith teased that the radical employees could face punishment and noted that “listening devices” were planted in his office.
“While we honor the freedom of expression, that is a hallmark of this country and American life, but obviously when seven folks do as they did today, storm a building, occupy an office, lock other people out of the office, plant listening devices, even in crude form, in the form of telephones, cellphones hidden under couches and behind books, that’s not okay,” Smith said.
Tuesday’s occupation marks the most significant escalation by No Azure For Apartheid (NAA), an anti-Israel group of current and former Microsoft employees demanding the tech giant sever its ties with Israel, that it pay Palestinians reparations, and end “this genocide powered by Microsoft technology.” Their protests in recent weeks have included amphibious protests outside the homes of Microsoft executives and two short-lived encampments.
Hattle had participated in some of those earlier demonstrations, but avoided punishment until storming Smith’s office. Hattle was among the 20 radicals arrested on Aug. 20 on charges including trespassing, malicious mischief, resisting arrest, and obstruction after setting up a “Worker Intifada” encampment for the second consecutive day. During the encampment, protesters dumped red paint on a Microsoft sign and logo, and put up “artistic expressions” honoring Hamas and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorists, the Free Beacon reported. A Microsoft spokeswoman confirmed that three others arrested were “former employees terminated for similar conduct.”
Police also broke up the Aug. 19 encampment, but the group avoided arrests by leaving peacefully upon request.
After publication, the Microsoft spokeswoman told the Free Beacon that the company fired two additional employees “due to serious violations of established company polices and our code of conduct, including participating in recent on-site demonstrations that created significant safety concerns for our employees.” She didn’t provide their names or say which incidents they were involved in.
Two Microsoft employees, Julius Shan and Nisreen Jaradat, did, however, participate in last week’s unrest. Shan sent a company-wide email announcing the Aug. 19 encampment. Jaradat did face earlier discipline, however, when she was suspended in late May after sending a company-wide email with NAA’s petition demanding Microsoft sever ties with the Israeli military, urging those who quit over those ties to “not go quietly.”
Microsoft had already disciplined other employees for their disruptive anti-Israel protests. In April, the company fired Ibtihal Aboussad and Vaniya Agrawal for interrupting speeches during Microsoft’s 50th anniversary event. Aboussad shouted accusations at AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, calling him a “war profiteer” and accused Microsoft of powering genocide in Gaza, later emailing executives a petition link. Microsoft cited her actions as deliberate misconduct aimed at disruption.
Agrawal similarly disrupted CEO Satya Nadella’s speech and sent emails accusing Microsoft of complicity in “apartheid and genocide.” The company stated it welcomes “all voices to be heard,” but expects no business disruptions. Additionally, Microsoft terminated NAA member and software engineer Joe Lopez for interrupting Nadella at another event, where he protested Microsoft’s alleged role in Israeli war crimes and sent a company-wide email urging employees to join NAA.
Those who were arrested didn’t spend much time behind bars. After Tuesday’s occupation and last Wednesday’s encampment, NAA called on its followers to donate to the Northwest Community Bail Fund, a nonprofit that has received funding from the Tides Center—a George Soros-funded dark money network. According to financial disclosures reviewed by the Free Beacon, the center gave nearly $250,000 to the bail fund in 2021 and approximately $50,000 in 2022.
Update, Aug. 28, 8:50 p.m.: This story has been updated to indicate that two additional employees were fired after publication.
Read the full article here
