A Microsoft employee protest disrupted the company’s Build developer conference in Seattle, as tensions grow over Microsoft’s cloud and AI contracts with the Israeli government. The protest occurred shortly after CEO Satya Nadella began his keynote speech. A protester stood up and shouted “Free Palestine!” before security escorted them out of the venue. Nadella continued speaking without acknowledging the interruption.
Protest Led by Microsoft Engineer Joe Lopez
The person behind the outburst was Joe Lopez, a firmware engineer who had been working with Microsoft’s Azure hardware systems for four years. He was not alone. Lopez was joined by a former Google employee who had previously protested Google’s cloud contracts with Israel. The demonstration was part of an ongoing campaign known as No Azure for Apartheid, a movement organized by current and former Microsoft staff calling for the company to sever ties with the Israeli Ministry of Defense.
After the incident, Lopez sent a detailed email to thousands of Microsoft employees. In it, he condemned the company’s leadership for remaining silent. He criticized Microsoft’s claim that there was no evidence its technology had been used to harm civilians in Gaza, calling the response “a bold-faced lie.”
Lopez wrote, “Every byte of data stored on the cloud… can and will be used as justification to level cities and exterminate Palestinians.” He called on Microsoft to take a moral stance by ending its technological support for Israel’s military operations.
Microsoft’s Official Response Under Scrutiny
Microsoft recently stated that an internal review, supported by an unnamed external firm, found no evidence that its Azure or AI technologies had contributed to harm in Gaza. The company described its relationship with the Israeli Ministry of Defense as a “standard commercial relationship” and said it had found no violations of its terms of service or AI Code of Conduct.
However, critics within the company are unconvinced. They say Microsoft has not provided transparency and accuse the company of evading accountability. According to the No Azure for Apartheid campaign, Microsoft admitted to providing “special access” to Israeli defense officials — a point of major concern for employees like Lopez.
This was not the first Microsoft employee protest over the issue. Just weeks earlier, two former employees interrupted Microsoft’s 50th-anniversary celebration. One labeled AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman a “war profiteer,” while another disrupted a panel featuring Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer.
Hossam Nasr, a former employee and organizer with the protest group, says Microsoft’s latest statement is an attempt to whitewash its public image. He argues that the company’s admission that it doesn’t fully know how its technology is used contradicts its claim that no harm has occurred.
Joe Lopez’s Emotional Plea to Coworkers
In his email, Lopez explained his personal journey from loyal employee to vocal dissenter. Initially proud of his role at Microsoft, he said his view shifted after learning more about how Microsoft’s technology was being used. Witnessing what he described as complicity in violence pushed him to act.
He ended his message with a passionate call to action: “My future children will one day ask me what I did for the Palestinian people… If we remain silent, we will pay for that silence with our humanity.”
Lopez encouraged fellow employees to support the cause in any way they can — by signing petitions, spreading awareness, or leaving the company. “No act is too small when human lives are at stake,” he said.
As employee pressure mounts, Microsoft is facing a deepening internal crisis. The Microsoft employee protest signals a growing divide between its workforce and its leadership over ethical use of technology in global conflicts.
