Microsoft Confronts Employee Backlash Over Israeli Military Contracts

Tensions flared outside Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington, on Wednesday, where police arrested 18 demonstrators demanding the tech giant cut ties with Israel amid the ongoing war in Gaza.

The worker-led protest marked the second consecutive day of action at the company’s campus. On Tuesday, dozens of employees staged a sit-in but left peacefully when asked to disperse. By Wednesday, however, police said protesters refused to leave, became aggressive, and defaced Microsoft’s landmark logo sign with red paint symbolizing blood.

“They were warned, but chose to stay,” said Redmond Police spokesperson Jill Green. “At that point, they were detained.”

The demonstrations come as Microsoft faces mounting scrutiny over reports in The Guardian alleging that the Israeli military used its Azure cloud platform to store mass surveillance data of Palestinians in Gaza and Judea and Samaria. In response, Microsoft has hired an outside law firm to conduct what it called an “urgent review” of the claims.

Protesters insist that the company suspend all business with Israel immediately, accusing Microsoft of complicity in human rights abuses. Microsoft has not indicated whether its contracts with Israel will be altered or suspended.

The arrests highlight a growing wave of employee dissent across U.S. tech companies over their involvement in military and surveillance projects linked to the Gaza war.