Activist group No Azure for Apartheid led protests demanding Microsoft stop selling products to Israel
Oregon
Police arrested 18 people during a protest at Microsoft’s Redmond campus in Oregon after demonstrations against the company’s business ties with Israel turned violent. According to Redmond Police, the unrest began on August 20 around 12:15 p.m. when officers were called to disperse protesters gathered in the campus courtyard.
Authorities said protesters vandalized the Microsoft sign with red paint and resisted police efforts to remove them. Some demonstrators allegedly stole tables and chairs from nearby vendors at a lunchtime farmers’ market and used them to block a pedestrian bridge. Police confirmed the arrests were made on charges including trespassing, malicious mischief, resisting arrest, and obstruction. No injuries were reported.
Photos shared by police showed the defaced Microsoft sign. The company later issued a statement thanking Redmond police for their swift action. “The group engaged in vandalism, property damage, and harassment of small business vendors. We appreciate the efforts of local law enforcement,” Microsoft said.
The protests were led by an activist group called No Azure for Apartheid, which demands Microsoft end sales of its products to Israel. The group claims that Microsoft’s cloud services are being used in ways that enable harm to civilians in Gaza.
These demonstrations followed reports by The Guardian alleging Israel’s military used Microsoft’s Azure platform to store surveillance data collected from Palestinians. In response, Microsoft said it had hired an independent law firm to investigate and so far found no evidence that its services were used to target people. The company reaffirmed its commitment to human rights and compliance with its service policies.