Microsoft Fires Employees Following Protest at Executive Building
Microsoft has terminated two employees involved in a sit-in protest at the office of Vice Chair and President Brad Smith. Software engineers Riki Fameli and Anna Hattle were dismissed after joining a group of seven protesters who entered Smith’s office on August 27, 2025, prompting a lockdown of the company’s executive building, reports 24brussels.
The protestors live-streamed their actions on Twitch, demanding that Microsoft sever its ties with the Israeli government. During the incident, Hattle and Fameli were arrested, alongside several former Microsoft employees and other protesters.
A Microsoft spokesperson indicated that the terminations were a consequence of “serious breaches of company policies and our code of conduct.” The company declined to provide a statement to external media.
Following the arrests, Brad Smith addressed the media in an emergency press conference, insisting that Microsoft remains “committed to ensuring its human rights principles and contractual terms of service are upheld in the Middle East.” He revealed that the company had initiated an investigation earlier in the month due to reports that its Azure cloud platform was utilized for surveillance of Palestinians.
This was not Hattle’s first encounter with law enforcement; she was previously arrested during protests at Microsoft’s headquarters the week prior, where 20 people were arrested amid a demonstration against the company’s contracts with Israel.
The recent protests were organized by the No Azure for Apartheid group, consisting of current and former Microsoft employees advocating for the termination of Microsoft’s contracts with the Israeli government. Their actions have escalated, drawing attention to the ethical implications of such partnerships, particularly in light of current global political tensions.
