Microsoft CEOs interrupted by another employee protestor: ‘shame on all of you’
In the second major disruption of today's 50th anniversary event at Microsoft's headquarters, another employee stood up and began yelling at Satya Nadella, Steve Ballmer, and Bill Gates - the company's current and past CEOs - in protest of Microsoft's dealings with the government of Israel.
Shame on you all. You're all hypocrites," said Microsoft employee Vaniya Agrawal, as some in the crowd began to boo. 50,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been murdered with Microsoft technology. How dare you. Shame on all of you for celebrating on their blood. Cut ties with Israel." The protestor then mentioned No Azure for Apartheid, the group that coordinated today's protests both inside and outside the venue. It's been a long-running movement among some employees at the company.
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Gates chuckled and said alright," before returning to the discussion. I think Steve and I almost cared too much, and our life was the company, and Satya has this ability to care as much as we did, but with more of a team," he continued.
Microsoft used its 50th anniversary celebration as a showcase for the company's latest Copilot / AI advancements, but the interruptions definitely shifted the tone at times. Earlier at the event, another employee named Ibtihal Aboussad called Microsoft's AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman a war profiteer." A larger rally led by the protest group was occurring outside while Microsoft executives were speaking.
Shortly after Agrawal disrupted Microsoft's three CEOs, sources at the company tell The Verge that she sent a mass email to employees noting that her last day at the company is April 11th. Here's Agrawal email in full:
Hi all,
My name is Vaniya, and after 1.5 years as a software engineer at this company, I've decided to leave Microsoft. My last day is next Friday, April 11.
You may have seen me stand up earlier today to call out Satya during his speech at the Microsoft 50th anniversary.
Here's why I decided to leave the company, and why I spoke up today.
We are witnessing a genocide
A year and a half ago, I joined Microsoft just as I started to witness the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people by Israel, which started in 1948. I've seen unspeakable suffering amidst Israel's mass human rights violations - indiscriminate carpet bombings, the targeting of hospitals and schools, and the continuation of an apartheid state - all of which have been condemned globally by the UN, ICC, and ICJ, and numerous human rights organizations. And as I write this, Israel has broken the ceasefire and resumed its full-scale genocide in Gaza. Just days ago, it was revealed that Israel killed fifteen paramedics and rescue workers in Gaza, executing them one by one," before burying them in the sand - yet another horrific war crime. Meanwhile, our labor powers this genocide, and I cannot, in good conscience, be part of a company that participates in this violent injustice.
We are complicit
Like most, I joined Microsoft believing in its mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more." I believed in its commitment to respecting and promoting human rights." I believed that Microsoft was dedicated to philanthropy and promoting fundamental rights around the world.
But, over the past 1.5 years, I've grown more aware of Microsoft's growing role in the military-industrial complex. Recent reports by the AP have exposed Microsoft's critical role in enabling Israel's apartheid regime and the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. The article details a $133 million contract between Microsoft and Israel's Ministry of Defense," highlighting how Microsoft Azure and AI fuel the occupation's mass state surveillance and contribute to indiscriminate targeting and bombing of an entire indigenous Palestinian people. Further, leaked documents reveal how Microsoft AI powers the most sensitive and highly classified projects" for the Israeli military, including its target bank" and the Palestinian population registry.
Microsoft cloud and AI enable the Israeli military to be more lethal and destructive in Gaza. It is undeniable that Microsoft's Azure cloud offerings and AI developments form the technological backbone of Israel's automated apartheid and genocide systems. Microsoft is so deeply connected to the Israeli military that it was just yesterday designated one of the priority boycott targets of the BDS (Boycott, Divest, Sanctions) campaign.
All this begs the question, which people" are we empowering with our technology? The oppressors enforcing an apartheid regime? The war criminals committing a genocide? Unfortunately, at this point, it's irrefutable that Microsoft is complicit - they are a digital weapons manufacturer that powers surveillance, apartheid, and genocide. And by working for this company, we are all complicit. Even if we don't work directly in AI or Azure, our labor is tacit support, and our corporate climb only fuels the system. This is why, just before I handed in my resignation, I signed this important petition to demand Microsoft cut ties with genocide. And I urge you all to do the same.
Call to Action
As time goes on, I find it more and more difficult to continue giving my time, energy, and care to a company that is on the wrong side of history. Leaving my job at Microsoft has become the obvious choice for me, and I see no alternative but to use my last few days at Microsoft to speak up however I can, whether by disrupting Satya's talk, or by sending this email today. Microsoft leadership must divest from Israel and stop selling lethal technology to power apartheid and genocide.
I know that leaving Microsoft is not an option for many. If you must continue to work at Microsoft, I urge you to use your position, power, and privilege to hold Microsoft accountable to its own values and mission:
- Sign the No Azure for Apartheid petition: We will not write code that kills. And join the campaign to add your voice to the growing number of concerned Microsoft employees.
- Join me in showing our discontent in this thread. If you also feel tricked into deploying weapons which target children and civilians, urge leadership (CC'ed) to drop these contracts.
- Don't stop speaking up. Urge SLT to drop these contracts at every opportunity.
- Start conversations with your co-workers about the points above - so many employees may not know!
- If any part of this message resonates with you, forward this email to someone who could benefit from reading it.
Know that Microsoft's human rights statement prohibits retaliation against anyone who raises a human rights-related concern: Human rights statement | Microsoft CSR
Farewell and Free Palestine,
Vaniya