From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, August 27, 2025
7 arrested as anti-Israel protesters occupy Microsoft president’s office
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Police arrested seven people after they occupied the office of Microsoft President Brad Smith as part of continued protests over the company’s alleged ties to the Israel Defense Forces during the ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza, organizers say.
Current and former Microsoft employees were among those arrested, says the protest group No Azure for Apartheid.
Azure is Microsoft’s primary cloud computing platform, and Microsoft has said it is reviewing a report in British newspaper The Guardian this month that the IDF used it to store phone call data obtained through the mass surveillance of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
The protesters could be seen huddled together on a Twitch livestream as officers moved in to arrest them. The video showed another group assembled outside.
During a media briefing, Smith said two of those arrested were Microsoft employees.
Eighteen people were arrested in a similar protest in a plaza at the headquarters last week. The group has been protesting the company for months. Microsoft in May fired an employee who interrupted a speech by CEO Satya Nadella, and in April it fired two others who interrupted the company’s 50th anniversary celebration.
The group’s demands include that the company cut ties with Israel and pay reparations to Palestinians.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.