Pro-Palestine demonstrators occupy Microsoft president's office

Vice chairman Brad Smith said most of Microsoft's contracts with Israel are related to cybersecurity

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest at the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington. Bloomberg

Microsoft's president Brad Smith gave an unexpected news conference on Tuesday evening after pro-Palestine demonstrators briefly occupied his office at the company's headquarters in Redmond, Washington.

The takeover came as Microsoft faces criticism for its contracts with Israel's military, though the company insists its technology, to the best of its knowledge, is not being used to harm people in Gaza.

According to No Azure for Apartheid (Noaa), which organised the protest, at least seven demonstrators were arrested for trespassing, including current and former Microsoft employees.

Microsoft said that only two of the demonstrators were current employees.

“Obviously this was an unusual day,” Mr Smith, who also serves as Microsoft's vice chairman, told reporters after police removed the protesters.

Moments earlier, chants from demonstrators echoed through room adjacent to his office. “Brad Smith you can't hide, you're supporting genocide,” those taking part in the sit-in chanted.

Just outside the executive office building, one of the demonstrators managed to lower Microsoft's flag and replace it with a Palestinian flag.

“Microsoft is not a government, it's not a country; it's a company. There are many things we can't do to change the world, but we will do what we can and what we should,” Mr Smith said.

He said the technology giant was trying to ensure that its human rights principles and its “contractual terms of service” were upheld around the world.

For much of the year, there has been controversy over how various Microsoft products are being used by Israel's military in Gaza, in addition to its existing contracts with the Israeli government.

In April, during an event marking the company's 50th anniversary, Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft's head of AI, was interrupted by a protester who criticised the company for having contracts with Israel.

In response to the initial demonstrations and allegations, Microsoft announced that an internal review had found “no evidence” its products have been used to harm people in Gaza.

The company came to that conclusion based on an investigation conducted with the help of an outside firm, which involved interviews with dozens of employees and the assessment of documents.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest at the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington. Bloomberg

There were some caveats in Microsoft's statement, however. There was acknowledgement that because of the nature of how software and AI tools are used, Microsoft's own investigation might have been limited.

Most recently, a report in The Guardian, alleged that Israel's military has used Azure − Microsoft's cloud computing platform − for the “mass surveillance of civilians” in Gaza and the occupied West Bank by storing phone call data files.

Shortly after the report was published, Microsoft announced a second investigation. This time, the company said it would use lawyers − as well as an independent consulting firm − to conduct it.

But that announcement failed to appease some of Microsoft's harshest critics.

“The No Azure for Apartheid campaign rejects Microsoft’s 'urgent' inquiry into its business with the Israeli military – as yet another tactic to delay the immediate cessation of ties with the Israeli military,” the group said.

Microsoft birthday celebration interrupted by employee protesting use of AI by Israeli military

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Tensions spilt over on Tuesday when protesters breached the Microsoft campus building where many of its top executives work.

“We're here to demand a meeting with Microsoft executives and we're here to deliver our demands because they've been refusing to answer any of our demands,” said Vaniya Agrawal, a former Microsoft employee.

“They need to end their complicity in the genocide and forced starvation of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza.”

Mr Smith reiterated that the company is conducting yet another investigation.

“The vast majority of what Microsoft does for the Israeli military is protect the cybersecurity of the state of Israel,” he said, referring to Microsoft's cybersecurity research and product development centre in Israel.

Microsoft said it will share with the public the factual findings of its recently announced investigation once it is completed.

“It's a world-leading security for the development of cyber security, and that is something we do not only with Israel but it's done in co-ordination with other governments and countries in the Middle East,” he told reporters gathered in his office after the demonstrators been arrested.

Mr Smith said that while investigations continue it was paramount to maintain safety and security for workers on Microsoft's campus.

“When you storm a building, lock other people out of the office and plant listening devices in a crude form, cell phones hidden in couches and behind books, that's not OK,” he said.

According to Noaa, police later released the seven people who had breached the executive offices.