18 individuals were taken into custody following a demonstration held on Microsoft’s campus in Redmond, Washington, as reported by KOMO News on Wednesday, August 21st, 2025. The authorities responded after a significant crowd of protesters assembled.
Demonstrations commenced at Microsoft’s headquarters on Tuesday, as a contingent made up of both current and ex-employees transformed a section into a “Freedom Zone.” This protest, much like other ones directed against Microsoft this year, centered around the company supplying services to the Israeli administration and armed forces.
According to Microsoft’s reports, the protesters departed harmoniously on Tuesday, only to regroup and return the following day (Wednesday).
According to a statement by the police, the protesters “became aggressive.”
It is said that protesters splashed red paint onto a Microsoft sign, obstructed a footbridge, and created a barricade using tables and chairs.
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Microsoft shared a statement on the protests, which spanned multiple days:
On Microsoft’s campus yesterday, around 35 individuals assembled to demonstrate. However, when informed by the local authorities that protesting on private property was not allowed, they decided to disband. Regrettably, today the same group resurfaced and resorted to vandalism, damage of properties, as well as disrupting, harassing small businesses during their lunchtime farmer’s market, even going so far as to steal tables and tents.
According to confirmation from The Verge, it’s been reported that Microsoft software engineer Anna Hattle is among those recently apprehended. Previously employed by Microsoft, Hossam Nasr and Vaniya Agrawal were also taken into custody on Wednesday.
Why are people protesting Microsoft?
Demonstrations against Microsoft are primarily centered on Microsoft’s ties with the Israeli government and its military forces. Microsoft offers various services to the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD), such as cloud services through Azure, artificial intelligence services, and language translation solutions.
Microsoft has clarified that their connection with IMOD is based on normal business terms. An internal evaluation and an outside review were carried out, neither of which revealed any breach of Microsoft’s service agreement by IMOD.
A significant number of protests are linked to “No Azure for Apartheid,” an organization comprised of both present and past employees from Microsoft.
As a tech-loving individual, I’ve been noticing an escalation in the frequency and intensity of protests against Microsoft lately. Just last month during their 50th Anniversary Event, protesters took the stage and made it clear that they believe Microsoft bears responsibility for something significant, saying, “we feel Microsoft has blood on its hands.
Following the incident, it became clear that the protesters were actually Microsoft employees. Subsequently, they were terminated for reasons related to misbehavior.
In May, Microsoft blocked employees from sending emails that mention Palestine or Gaza.
More than sixty Microsoft stockholders submitted a request for Microsoft to release a document detailing their “responsible business practices” concerning the deployment of Microsoft’s cloud offerings and solutions, specifically focusing on human rights considerations.
No Azure for Apartheid has a petition signed by over 1,500 Microsoft employees.
Brian Eno, known for creating the Windows 95 startup tune, publicly criticized Microsoft as well. Interestingly, he revealed that the initial payment for composing the startup sound was donated by him to aid those suffering in Gaza.
Report by The Guardian prompts further review
On August 6th, a joint investigation by The Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Local Call uncovered that Israel’s military utilizes Microsoft’s cloud service for data storage, with approximately one million calls per hour allegedly being logged and saved on Azure.
The report alleges that Azure played a significant role in planning lethal air raids, as well as shaping military activities, in both Gaza and the West Bank.
According to a source from Microsoft, their technology was not intended for identifying targets for lethal attacks. However, various sources reported by The Guardian suggest that data stored on Azure was utilized for investigative purposes related to bombing targets in Gaza.
Microsoft recently revised a blog entry detailing their application of technological services in Israel and Gaza, as of August 15.
Today, Microsoft has officially begun investigating claims made by The Guardian on August 6, 2025, which accuse an Israeli Defense Forces unit of using Microsoft Azure for storing data from broad or mass surveillance of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank. According to The Guardian’s report, this alleged usage goes against Microsoft’s terms of service that prohibit such activities.
Previously, there were no detected breaches of Microsoft’s terms by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). However, following the publication of a report by The Guardian, Microsoft has broadened its investigation into this matter.
An unnamed Microsoft spokesperson shared the following statement with KOMO News:
Microsoft revealed last week that it is conducting a comprehensive and impartial investigation into claims, initially surfaced this month, regarding the alleged use of its Azure platform in Israel. The tech giant will continue to exert necessary efforts to maintain its commitment to human rights standards across the Middle East, while taking decisive actions to prevent property damage, business disruptions, or actions that pose threats and harm individuals.
Microsoft says it will share its findings once the review is complete.
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2025-08-21 23:40