Microsoft fires employee for protesting after tech giant admits it provided AI for Israel's ongoing onslaught in Gaza
Microsoft has dismissed an employee who interrupted CEO Satya Nadella's speech during the company's annual Build developer conference to protest its involvement in providing technology to the Israeli military.
Joe Lopez, a software engineer at Microsoft, disrupted the event by shouting at Nadella during his keynote address.
Lopez was swiftly escorted out of the room. Later, he sent a mass email to his colleagues challenging the company's assertions about its Azure cloud computing platform's use in Gaza.
Microsoft employee Joe Lopez disrupted Satya Nadella's Build 2025 keynote accusing the company of aiding Israel's war on Gaza later emailing staff saying he won't stay silent as Microsoft backs what he called ethnic cleansing of Palestinians#Microsoft #Protest #CEO #Palestine pic.twitter.com/okoagdLkp2 — British Muslim TV (@BritishMuslimTV) May 20, 2025
Lopez's protest marks the first of several disruptions at the four-day conference, held at the Seattle Convention Center, which saw thousands of developers in attendance.
Pro-Palestinian activists also interrupted multiple sessions, including those by other Microsoft executives. At one point, the company briefly muted the audio of a livestreamed talk. Outside the venue, protesters gathered to voice their concerns.
Microsoft has a history of dismissing employees involved in protests against its business dealings with Israel. Earlier this year, the company fired individuals who had disrupted its 50th anniversary event over similar issues.
The software giant confirmed last week that it had provided artificial intelligence (AI) services to the Israeli military during the ongoing war in Gaza.
The protest comes amid heightened scrutiny of tech companies' involvement in military conflicts.
Lopez's outburst was part of a broader wave of pro-Palestinian protests, with many calling for a boycott of companies they believe are complicit in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The advocacy group "No Azure for Apartheid," composed of current and former Microsoft employees, claims Lopez received a termination letter following the protest.
However, they argue that Lopez could not access the letter. The group further alleges that Microsoft has blocked internal emails containing terms such as 'Palestine' and 'Gaza.'
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Microsoft fires employee for protesting after tech giant admits it provided AI for Israel's ongoing onslaught in Gaza
Microsoft has dismissed an employee who interrupted CEO Satya Nadella's speech during the company's annual Build developer conference to protest its involvement in providing technology to the Israeli military. Joe Lopez, a software engineer at Microsoft, disrupted the event by shouting at Nadella during his keynote address. Lopez was swiftly escorted out of the room. Later, he sent a mass email to his colleagues challenging the company's assertions about its Azure cloud computing platform's use in Gaza. Microsoft employee Joe Lopez disrupted Satya Nadella's Build 2025 keynote accusing the company of aiding Israel's war on Gaza later emailing staff saying he won't stay silent as Microsoft backs what he called ethnic cleansing of Palestinians#Microsoft #Protest #CEO #Palestine — British Muslim TV (@BritishMuslimTV) May 20, 2025 Lopez's protest marks the first of several disruptions at the four-day conference, held at the Seattle Convention Center, which saw thousands of developers in attendance. Pro-Palestinian activists also interrupted multiple sessions, including those by other Microsoft executives. At one point, the company briefly muted the audio of a livestreamed talk. Outside the venue, protesters gathered to voice their concerns. Microsoft has a history of dismissing employees involved in protests against its business dealings with Israel. Earlier this year, the company fired individuals who had disrupted its 50th anniversary event over similar issues. The software giant confirmed last week that it had provided artificial intelligence (AI) services to the Israeli military during the ongoing war in Gaza. The protest comes amid heightened scrutiny of tech companies' involvement in military conflicts. Lopez's outburst was part of a broader wave of pro-Palestinian protests, with many calling for a boycott of companies they believe are complicit in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The advocacy group "No Azure for Apartheid," composed of current and former Microsoft employees, claims Lopez received a termination letter following the protest. However, they argue that Lopez could not access the letter. The group further alleges that Microsoft has blocked internal emails containing terms such as 'Palestine' and 'Gaza.'
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