Eighteen people were arrested Wednesday at Microsoft’s Redmond headquarters during a protest led by current and former employees, who accused the tech giant of supporting Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
The demonstrators, joined by community members and pro-Palestine activists, set up an encampment at the East Campus Plaza, which they renamed “The Martyred Palestinian Children’s Plaza.” They said the action was part of a nearly two-year effort to push Microsoft to cut all business ties with Israel.
According to the Redmond Police Department, officers were dispatched around 12:15 p.m. after reports of a large gathering on campus. Police said protesters ignored trespass orders, poured paint over the Microsoft sign, blocked a pedestrian bridge, and used furniture from vendors to create barricades. No injuries were reported, but 18 people were taken into custody on charges including trespassing, resisting arrest, obstruction, and malicious mischief.
Videos from the scene, widely shared online, show officers dragging and handcuffing demonstrators, some of whom wore keffiyehs, before loading them into police vehicles.
In a statement issued after the arrests, Microsoft said it remained committed to its human rights policies in the Middle East while also addressing “unlawful actions that damage property, disrupt business or threaten and harm others.”
The protest was organized under the banner of “No Azure for Apartheid,” a worker-led campaign critical of the company’s cloud-computing contracts in the region. On Tuesday, the group had issued a call for a “worker intifada,” referencing the Palestinian uprisings against Israeli occupation.
Protesters accused Microsoft of enabling and profiting from what they described as a “genocide” in Gaza. Their list of demands included: ending all contracts and services with Israeli entities, closing company offices and data centers in Israel, and severing ties with employees who have served in the Israeli military.
They also called on Microsoft to fund reparations to Palestinians designed and overseen by Palestinians themselves and to use its global influence to push for lifting the blockade on Gaza and supporting aid distribution through UNRWA and Palestinian-led groups.
In addition, protesters urged Microsoft to protect employees advocating for Palestine by reinstating workers who were fired, granting amnesty to those facing discipline, and ensuring safeguards against workplace retaliation.
