Google Fires 28 Employees for Protesting $1.2 Billion Contract with Israeli Government
Alphabet Inc.’s Google has made headlines after firing 28 employees who participated in protests against Project Nimbus, a joint contract with Amazon.com Inc. to provide the Israeli government with AI and cloud services worth $1.2 billion.
The protests, organized by the No Tech for Apartheid organization, took place at Google offices in New York City, Seattle, and Sunnyvale, California. Demonstrators staged a nearly 10-hour sit-in, with some individuals being arrested on trespassing charges.
Following the protests, several employees received messages from the company’s Employee Relations group informing them that they had been put on leave. Subsequently, the affected workers were informed that they were being dismissed by Google.
This move by Google has sparked controversy, as the tech giant has a history of promoting open debate among its employees. However, recent instances of employee activism have tested the company’s commitment to this culture.
Despite the dismissals, employees demonstrating against Project Nimbus have reported an increase in support since the protests. The fired workers believe that Google may have framed the situation as confidential to save face publicly, as they argue that they did not violate any company policies during the protests.
The incident has also highlighted internal debates within Google regarding the Middle East conflict, with discussions on internal forums showcasing a mix of pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli sentiment. Moderators have reportedly locked down some threads on the subject due to heated discussions.
Overall, the firing of these employees has raised questions about the rights of tech workers to engage in collective action related to their working conditions, and the ongoing debate within tech companies about how to manage internal dissent and activism.