(MENAFN) Google has terminated the employment of 28 workers who participated in protests against the company's connections with the Israeli government during the conflict in Gaza. The decision came after Google accused the employees of disrupting normal operations and impeding the work of others.
In a statement to the media, a Google spokesperson emphasized that physically obstructing fellow employees and preventing access to facilities violated company policies and constituted unacceptable behavior. The spokesperson further noted that despite multiple requests to vacate the premises, the employees refused, leading to the involvement of law enforcement to ensure office safety.
Reports from tech publication the Verge detailed how a group of employees staged an occupation of Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian's office in Sunnyvale, California, while another group held a sit-in for eight hours at the company's New York office. Additionally, protests were staged outside various Google campuses.
The protests were organized by the activist group No Tech for Apartheid, which criticized the firings as illegal and retaliatory. They argued that the sit-ins did not cause property damage or pose threats to other workers and received significant support from colleagues.
Employees have been vocal about their opposition to Project Nimbus since 2021, a cloud computing contract signed by Google and Amazon with the Israeli government. Time magazine recently reported that Israel's Defense Ministry has access to Google Cloud and its AI services through a security entry point.
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