In a recent development, Google has terminated the employment of 28 workers who participated in a protest against the company’s contract with the Israeli government. The demonstration, organized by the group “No Tech for Apartheid,” took place outside the office of Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian in Sunnyvale, California. The protesters held signs condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza and called for an end to Google’s cooperation with Project Nimbus in Israel.
The protests were part of a broader movement that also took place in New York and Seattle, with activists calling on tech companies to stop working with Israel due to its human rights record. The group is particularly opposed to Google’s contracts with the Israeli Ministry of Defense for security services and its joint project with Amazon for cloud services in Israel.
According to a spokesperson for Google, a small number of employees disrupted the operation of some Google facilities during the protest. However, the company emphasized that it did not condone such behavior and that it had taken action against those involved. The spokesperson noted that Google provides cloud services to numerous governments, including Israel, but that its cooperation with Project Nimbus is not related to sensitive or military work.
The termination of employees involved in the protests raises questions about the boundaries between activism and employment obligations in the technology industry. It is unclear whether this incident will lead to further tensions between tech companies and governments over controversial contracts.