Microsoft's 50th anniversary festivities were marred by dual Pro-Palestine protests. On Friday, April 4, two separate incidents involving Microsoft employees disrupted the milestone celebration at the company's Washington headquarters. In each case, the disruptive employee followed their outburst by sending mass emails to colleagues, both containing nearly identical demands for Microsoft leadership to cease providing Israel with "lethal technology" that they claimed enables "apartheid and genocide" in Gaza.
The initial disturbance occurred during a presentation by Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman. Ibtihal Aboussad, a software engineer from the company’s AI division specializing in speech recognition, interrupted the proceedings with a pointed message. She called out Suleyman by name, declaring, “Mustafa, shame on you,” as she approached the stage in Redmond, Washington. “You claim to champion AI for good, yet Microsoft supplies AI weapons to the Israeli military. Fifty thousand have perished, and Microsoft fuels this genocide in our region.”
Aboussad accused Suleyman and Microsoft of war profiteering and asserting that both he and Microsoft bore responsibility for the bloodshed. Security promptly removed her from the venue.
Microsoft employee Vaniya Agrawal: 'Shame on you all ...'
The second disruption unfolded later at the same event, when another employee rose and shouted at current CEO Satya Nadella, along with former CEOs Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates, condemning Microsoft’s ties to Israel. Vaniya Agrawal, a software engineer in the company’s artificial intelligence division, interrupted the CEOs while they were chatting on stage.
“Shame on you all. You’re all hypocrites,” she exclaimed, before being escorted out by another woman. “Fifty thousand Palestinians in Gaza have been killed with Microsoft technology. How dare you celebrate in their blood. Cut ties with Israel.” She referenced No Azure for Apartheid, the employee-led group behind the day’s coordinated protests, both inside and outside the headquarters. Video footage captured Gates laughing lightly after the interruption, muttering “alright” before resuming the ongoing discussion.
Agrawal also reportedly mentioned that the No Azure for Apartheid group, started among Microsoft employees to call on the company to end “direct and indirect complicity in Israeli apartheid and genocide.”
Beyond the internal disruptions, a broader rally organized by No Azure for Apartheid took place outside the venue, amplifying the group’s long-standing campaign within the company.
The initial disturbance occurred during a presentation by Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman. Ibtihal Aboussad, a software engineer from the company’s AI division specializing in speech recognition, interrupted the proceedings with a pointed message. She called out Suleyman by name, declaring, “Mustafa, shame on you,” as she approached the stage in Redmond, Washington. “You claim to champion AI for good, yet Microsoft supplies AI weapons to the Israeli military. Fifty thousand have perished, and Microsoft fuels this genocide in our region.”
Aboussad accused Suleyman and Microsoft of war profiteering and asserting that both he and Microsoft bore responsibility for the bloodshed. Security promptly removed her from the venue.
Microsoft employee Vaniya Agrawal: 'Shame on you all ...'
The second disruption unfolded later at the same event, when another employee rose and shouted at current CEO Satya Nadella, along with former CEOs Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates, condemning Microsoft’s ties to Israel. Vaniya Agrawal, a software engineer in the company’s artificial intelligence division, interrupted the CEOs while they were chatting on stage.
“Shame on you all. You’re all hypocrites,” she exclaimed, before being escorted out by another woman. “Fifty thousand Palestinians in Gaza have been killed with Microsoft technology. How dare you celebrate in their blood. Cut ties with Israel.” She referenced No Azure for Apartheid, the employee-led group behind the day’s coordinated protests, both inside and outside the headquarters. Video footage captured Gates laughing lightly after the interruption, muttering “alright” before resuming the ongoing discussion.
Agrawal also reportedly mentioned that the No Azure for Apartheid group, started among Microsoft employees to call on the company to end “direct and indirect complicity in Israeli apartheid and genocide.”
Beyond the internal disruptions, a broader rally organized by No Azure for Apartheid took place outside the venue, amplifying the group’s long-standing campaign within the company.
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