Anti-Israel activists disrupted the Microsoft 50th anniversary celebration in Redmond on Friday, with two officer presentations interrupted by the software giant's employees.
As Microsoft artificial intelligence CEO Mustafa Suleyman spoke, a worker threw a keffiyeh on stage and accused him and the company of aiding Israeli military efforts in Gaza.
"You claim that you care about using AI for good but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military," the employee activists said according to a video posted on Instagram by No Azure for Apartheid. You are a war profiteer."
The activist charged that the Microsoft Azure cloud and AI platforms were being used in a supposed genocide against Palestinians. No Azure for Apartheid, which claims to represent Microsoft workers against business ties between the company and the state of Israel, called Suleyman a "war criminal" and "conspirator" in alleged crimes by Israel.
Suleyman acknowledged and thanked the employee for her protest, but the employee continued to lambast him as she was led out of the event by security.
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'Murdered by Microsoft technology'
"All of Microsoft has blood on its hands," said the activist.
A panel with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, former CEO Steve Ballmer, and founder Bill Gates was disrupted by another employee associated with the group.
"50,000 Palestinians have been murdered by Microsoft technology," yelled the activist in another video published by the group.
No Azure for Apartheid decried the Microsoft leaders for ignoring the protester and returning to the discussion. The employee reportedly later sent a mass email announcing that she was quitting because of Microsoft's ties to Israel.
Other protesters marched onto Microsoft campus with banners and signs calling for the end of contrasts with Israeli bodies.
"Microsoft, you can’t hide! You sell tech for genocide," chanted the activists.
No Azure for Apartheid, connected to the general No Tech for Apartheid anti-Israel tech worker movement, demands for the disclosure of all ties to the Israeli military and an audit of whether Microsoft products have been used in war crimes. The group also maintains a petition of 1,000 employees calling on Microsoft leadership to endorse a ceasefire in Gaza.
Five Microsoft employees were removed from a conference on February 24 for a similar protest in which Nadella was interrupted by protesters wearing shirts accusing the officer of using their code to kill children.
No Azure for Apartheid said on Instagram that their protesters were "fueled" by the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement's Thursday call to boycott the Xbox gaming platform.
BDS said on X that it hoped to pressure Microsoft into cutting ties with Israel by embargoing Xbox. The official BDS organizing body called for supporters to cancel Xbox GamePass subscriptions, to not play Microsoft video game franchises, as well as all branded gaming products such as consoles and headsets.