‘Microsoft workers refuse to be complicit in the genocide’

The following is a rushed transcript and may contain errors. A proofread version will be made available as soon as possible.

Maximillian Alvarez:

Around 20,000 people attended Tech Giant Microsoft’s Ignite Conference in San Francisco last month. But current and former tech workers and Microsoft employees with the no Azure for Apartheid movement were also there to disrupt business as usual and to continue their ongoing protests of Microsoft’s contracts with Israel’s government and its complicity in the war crimes that Israel has committed against Palestinians. Here’s a video that was posted from the No Azure for Apartheid Instagram account, which shows the moment that one brave tech worker called out Microsoft’s CEO of commercial business, Judson Altoff, in front of the entire conference. Take a look.

Patrick Fort:

Hey, Judson, the point of the children of God is on our hands. Judson, I worked at Microsoft for seven years and I resigned today Microsoft Disappointing Israel genocide, free Palestine, Frank Palestine, Fred Palestine. Microsoft is killing children and the Gaza, Microsoft is enabling the military to kill more children than they have ever killed before. I will not be complicit and genocide. All of you can make the same choice. All of you can make the same choice. None of us have to be a complicit in the US and Israeli genocide. I worked in Microsoft, my friend. I worked there for seven years, and today I quit.

Maximillian Alvarez:

I got to speak with two members of the no Azure for Apartheid Coalition while they were on the ground outside Microsoft’s Ignite Conference in San Francisco. I asked them to tell us more about the protests and to break down what they’re demanding now after successfully helping to pressure the company to cut off parts of the Israeli military’s access to its AI and data services in late September. Here’s what they said.

Patrick Fort:

My name is Patrick Fort. Until today, I worked as a senior software engineer at Microsoft and I’ve worked there in total for seven years. So I disrupted the keynote at Microsoft Ignite Conference today, specifically when Judson, one of our senior leadership team members was speaking. My disruption today was to raise awareness of how Microsoft is supporting Israel’s genocide and Gaza right now, and to show people that there are Microsoft workers who will not be complicit in that genocide and who will raise their voices and leave. For me, it was important to do the disruption today, to show other workers that we don’t have to be complicit and the money that Microsoft pays us, that we can choose our self-respect as human beings above that. For me personally, it’s very important because to me this is a continuation of the genocide, which is already happening in the United States and now it is part of Israel as well. So those two things are very connected. So for me, it’s very important to show people that it is possible to stand up to that and resist and to not let that go and not be complicit in mass murder. I would just say free Palestine. Israel needs to stop their genocide and they need to find a way to make peace because if they don’t, they will not have peace. Either they’re from Palestinians or from themselves internally.

Hossam Nasr:

Hi, my name is Hossam Nasr. I’m an organizer with no Azure for Apartheid, a worker led group of current and former Microsoft workers who are demanding an end to Microsoft’s complicity in Israel’s apartheid and genocide in Palestine. And I’m here today to protest Microsoft Ignite, Microsoft’s biggest conference of the year right here in San Francisco in the Moscone Center to send a message that our protests continue, our disruptions continue until all our mens are met, until Microsoft ends all of its contracts with the Israeli military. Microsoft recently decided to stop selling some cloud and AI services to one unit in the Israeli military unit 8,200. But we are here to send a message that this is not enough, that this partial divestment is too little, too late. We are hoping that we send a message to Microsoft executives that we will continue escalating, disrupting no matter where they are.

In Seattle, in San Francisco, in the office, in the workplace, and right here in the streets in San Francisco. We are also inviting all Microsoft workers to join our organizing because we know that Microsoft workers refuse to be complicit in the genocide. We did not consent to have our labor be used to facilitate war crimes in Palestine. We know that there is no ethical way to do business with a military that is plausibly accused of genocide, whose leaders are wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity. So we’re hoping to send a very strong and clear message today, and we’re hoping that conference goers realize and see Microsoft for what they are. Weapons manufacturer that is supplying digital weapons to the Israeli military to facilitate war crimes, genocide, and apartheid. And we hope that they join us to disrupt this conference and to continue escalating until all the mens are meant, until Palestine is free.