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A Bold Interruption During the Event
On Friday, April 4, at a special event held at Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond to mark the company’s 50th anniversary, two employees disrupted a presentation by the head of AI, Mustafa Suleyman. Suleyman was showcasing the new features of Copilot, the company’s AI-based assistant, in front of a distinguished audience that included Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, and Satya Nadella.
The first interruption occurred when Ibtihal Aboussad confronted Suleyman, shouting that Microsoft had blood on its hands
. She accused him of selling AI weapons to the Israeli military
and mentioned the tens of thousands of deaths in Gaza. She also threw a keffieh onto the stage before being escorted out of the room. Later in the day, another employee, Vaniya Agrawal, took the stage while the three former CEOs were speaking. She too condemned Microsoft’s collaboration with Israel.
Allegations Previously Reported in the Media
These accusations are not new. In February, an investigation by the Associated Press revealed that technologies developed by Microsoft and OpenAI had been used by the Israeli military to identify targets in bombings in Gaza and Lebanon. The report specifically mentioned the use of Microsoft Azure in operations for surveillance and data analysis by the Israeli Defense Forces. The company, for its part, has declined to comment on the published information.
Increasingly Visible Internal Protests
Microsoft is experiencing growing internal dissent. Several employees have been protesting for months against the company’s contracts with Israel, through initiatives like the group No Azure for Apartheid
. In February, five employees were already excluded from a meeting with Satya Nadella after they expressed their opposition.
Following the protests on April 4, Aboussad and Agrawal lost access to their professional accounts. They have not yet been officially informed of any dismissal. Agrawal nevertheless sent a message to the company’s employees announcing her voluntary departure, explaining that she refused to work for a company involved in violent injustice
. A tense atmosphere for a birthday celebration.