Microsoft Fires Employee After Pro-Palestinian Protest at CEO Nadella’s Build Conference Speech

Microsoft Fires Employee After Pro-Palestinian Protest at CEO Nadella’s Build Conference Speech

Last Updated May - 23 - 2025, 12:41 PM | Source : Fela News

Microsoft dismissed engineer Joe Lopez after he disrupted Satya Nadella’s speech to protest Azure's use in Gaza. The company faces backlash over internal censor

Microsoft has dismissed an employee who publicly protested the company’s involvement with the Israeli military during CEO Satya Nadella’s speech at its annual Build developer conference in Seattle. The employee, software engineer Joe Lopez, interrupted Nadella’s remarks on Monday, voicing opposition to Microsoft’s technology being used in the Gaza conflict before being removed by security.

Following the protest, Lopez reportedly sent a company-wide email challenging Microsoft’s statements regarding the use of its Azure cloud services in Gaza. His demonstration was the first of several pro-Palestinian disruptions at the conference, which attracted thousands of developers to the Seattle Convention Center. At least three executive presentations were interrupted, with Microsoft even briefly muting a live streamed session. Protesters also assembled outside the venue.

The company had previously terminated employees who protested at corporate events, including one held to mark its 50th anniversary in April.

Last week, Microsoft confirmed it supplies AI services to the Israeli military but asserted there was no evidence its Azure platform or AI technologies were being used to harm civilians in Gaza. The employee-led advocacy group No Azure for Apartheid claimed Lopez received a termination notice following his protest but was unable to access the document. The group also alleged that Microsoft is censoring internal communication by blocking emails containing terms like “Palestine” and “Gaza.”

As of now, Microsoft has not responded to media inquiries regarding its handling of the protests. The four-day Build conference concludes Thursday.

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