Microsoft fires two employees after disrupting 50th anniversary event

Bloomberg reveals in a fresh article that Microsoft Corp. has terminated two employees who disrupted the company’s 50th anniversary event in Redmond, Washington. 

The employees, Ibtihal Aboussad and Vaniya Agrawal, are both software engineers and are affiliated with the group No Azure for Apartheid, which protests Microsoft’s sales to the Israeli military.

Aboussad, a vocal advocate for Microsoft to sever ties with the Israeli government, interrupted a speech by Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft’s consumer AI chief. During the speech, Aboussad shouted, “Mustafa shame on you. You claim that you care about using AI for good, but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military. Fifty thousand people have died.” Suleyman responded by acknowledging the protest, saying, “Thank you for your protest. I hear you.”

Later in the event, Agrawal interrupted a question-and-answer session featuring Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, along with former CEOs Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. Event staff escorted both employees out of the venue, a tent erected on one of Microsoft’s athletic fields at its headquarters.

Microsoft informed Aboussad that her employment had been terminated due to “acts of misconduct,” according to an email seen by Bloomberg. Agrawal, who had previously planned to resign on April 11, saw her resignation accepted immediately by the company.

In its notice to Aboussad, Microsoft described her actions as “hostile, unprovoked and highly inappropriate.” Both employees reportedly lost access to their corporate email and chat accounts shortly after the protest.

The pair’s affiliation with No Azure for Apartheid reflects their opposition to Microsoft’s involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, particularly in relation to the company’s sales to the Israeli military.

Microsoft has yet to provide a public comment on the incident.

By Naila Huseynova