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Google Terminates 28 Employees Amid Protests Over Israeli Cloud Contracts
Google announced on Wednesday that it had terminated 28 employees who were associated with protests against the company’s $1.2 billion cloud computing contracts with the Israeli government. This decision came after nine Google employees were arrested for trespassing during a sit-in protest at the company’s offices in New York and California.
Employee Dismissals
A Google spokesperson stated that a small group of protesters had disrupted some of the company’s locations, leading to the termination of 28 employees after individual investigations. These firings were based on claims that the protests interfered with other employees’ work and access to facilities.
No Tech for Apartheid, an organization supporting the protesting employees, revealed that 19 of the terminated workers were not directly involved in the sit-in demonstrations but were affiliated with the movement. They accused Google of prioritizing its contract with the Israeli government over the well-being of its employees.
According to a representative from No Tech for Apartheid, the dismissals were viewed as a form of retaliation against employees exercising their right to engage in peaceful protests regarding their labor conditions.
Company Response
In response to the protests and subsequent terminations, Google’s head of global security, Chris Rackow, condemned the behavior of the protesters, labeling it as unacceptable in the workplace. He mentioned reports of property damage and threats made towards coworkers, emphasizing Google’s commitment to upholding its policies.
The company spokesperson clarified that the cloud computing contracts under scrutiny, known as Project Nimbus, were not aimed at handling sensitive military operations involving weapons or intelligence services. However, recent reports by Time revealed Google’s expanded collaboration with the Israeli Ministry of Defense during the conflict in Gaza.
Support and Continued Protests
The employees fired for participating in the protests joined a growing number of tech workers speaking out against the collaboration between big tech companies like Google and Amazon with the Israeli government. Previous incidents, such as the termination of Google software engineer Eddie Hatfield for disrupting an Israeli tech conference, have fueled the momentum behind the movement.
Despite Google citing reasons such as “bullying” and “harassment” for the terminations, No Tech for Apartheid maintained that the protests were peaceful, and the employees felt bullied by the company’s response. The movement vowed to persist in its demonstrations until Google ends Project Nimbus, with substantial support from colleagues within the tech industry.
In conclusion, the conflict between tech companies and employee activists underscores the ethical considerations surrounding business partnerships with governments involved in geopolitical controversies. The termination of these 28 employees marks a significant chapter in the ongoing debate over the responsibilities of corporations in addressing social and political issues.
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