Google has terminated the employment of 28 individuals in response to a sit-down protest that disrupted its operations, a company spokesperson confirmed on Thursday. The protest, orchestrated by the group “No Tech for Apartheid,” targeted Google’s contract with the Israeli government under “Project Nimbus,” a $1.2 billion collaboration with Amazon for cloud services.
Video footage captured police apprehending Google employees at the Sunnyvale, California office of Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian, where protestors occupied the space for 10 hours. Demonstrators wielded signs condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza, with slogans such as “Googlers against Genocide.”
“No Tech for Apartheid” staged similar protests in New York and Seattle, citing a recent Time magazine report detailing Google’s draft contract with the Israeli Ministry of Defense, which included billing exceeding $1 million for consulting services.
While acknowledging disruptions at some Google locations, a company spokesperson clarified that the protests were primarily driven by external groups rather than Google employees. After repeated requests for protestors to vacate the premises went unheeded, law enforcement intervention was deemed necessary to ensure office safety.
The spokesperson emphasized that Google’s cloud computing services cater to various governments, including Israel, but stressed that their work does not involve sensitive or military-related tasks. Investigations into the protests are ongoing, with the company prepared to take further action as required.
