At least 18 people were arrested Wednesday afternoon during the second day of pro-Palestinian protests at Microsoft’s Redmond campus, after demonstrators vandalized property and resisted police orders to leave.
Redmond police responded around 12:15 p.m. to reports of a large gathering of protesters who had poured paint on the Microsoft sign, blocked a pedestrian bridge, and created barriers using tables and chairs taken from a farmers market. The protesters “became aggressive” when officers tried to get them to leave, according to police.
The No Azure For Apartheid group, composed of current and former Microsoft employees, has been protesting the company’s contracts supplying artificial intelligence technology to the Israeli military. The group claims the technology is “being used to surveil, starve and kill Palestinians.”
Wednesday’s arrests followed a Tuesday demonstration by the same group that ended without incident when protesters left voluntarily after being informed they were on private property. The escalation to vandalism and property damage marked a significant change in tactics.
Those arrested could face charges including trespassing, malicious mischief, resisting arrest, and obstruction. It’s unknown how many were current Microsoft employees. No injuries were reported.
Microsoft responded by defending its human rights standards while condemning the unlawful actions. “Microsoft will continue to do the hard work needed to uphold its human rights standards in the Middle East, while supporting and taking clear steps to address unlawful actions that damage property, disrupt business or that threaten and harm others,” the company stated.
The company announced last week that law firm Covington & Burling will conduct an independent review of allegations that Israeli Defense Forces used Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform for mass surveillance of Palestinians. Microsoft says such usage violates its standard terms of service.
The protests reflect months of internal pressure following investigations revealing that AI models from Microsoft and OpenAI were used in Israeli military programs for selecting bombing targets during conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. It was reported that the technology was linked to errant airstrikes that killed civilians.
Microsoft has previously fired three employees for disrupting company events over the Israel contracts, including workers who interrupted CEO Satya Nadella’s speech in May and the company’s 50th anniversary celebration in April.
The company said it will share the independent review’s findings publicly after completion, as pressure continues from employees demanding greater transparency about military applications of Microsoft technology.
