Google Terminates 28 Employees Over Protests Against Israeli Military Contract
Google fires 28 workers after sit-in demonstrations at multiple offices protest a $1.2 billion cloud and AI contract with Israel. The company states the terminations result from policy violations that disrupted normal business operations.
Google fires 28 employees after a series of sit-in protests disrupt offices in New York, Seattle, and Sunnyvale, California. The demonstrators oppose Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion joint contract that provides the Israeli government and military with cloud computing and artificial intelligence services. Nine protesters face arrest during the demonstrations, including individuals who occupy the office of Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian for over nine hours.
The tech workers organizing the protest belong to a group called No Tech for Apartheid, which campaigns against technology companies aiding military operations. Participants wear shirts and display banners with messages condemning the use of their work for warfare. The group pressures both Google and Amazon to completely cancel the controversial Project Nimbus agreement.
A Google spokesperson defends the terminations by stating that the protesters physically impede other employees from doing their work and accessing company facilities. The company emphasizes that disrupting the workplace constitutes a clear violation of corporate policies. Google confirms that individual investigations lead to the dismissal of the 28 workers and promises further action if necessary.