Google employees in US detained over anti-Israel protests
What's the story
Several Google employees were detained following sit-in protests at the company's offices in New York and Sunnyvale, California, according to The Washington Post. The demonstrations were sparked by Google's business dealings with Israel, specifically a $1.2 billion contract known as Project Nimbus signed in 2021. Protesters demanded that Google sever ties with the Israeli government and military, and pledged to continue their protest until the tech giant withdraws from the agreement.
Step
Protesters occupy Google Cloud CEO's office
The situation escalated when several employees occupied the office of Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian for over eight hours. This sit-in was broadcast live on a Twitch livestream under the name "notech4apartheid." As night fell, a company representative informed the protesters they were now on administrative leave, and ordered them to vacate the premises. Their refusal led to law enforcement intervention and subsequent detainment.
Dissent
Internal faction voices disapproval of Google's Israel ties
The demonstrators are part of an internal faction within Google known as No Tech for Apartheid. They have been increasingly vocal about their disapproval of Google's business choices, particularly its ties with Israel amid the ongoing Gaza conflict. Emaan Haseem, a software engineer at Google and one of the protestors, revealed to abc7news that several employees had resigned from the company, citing Project Nimbus as a significant stressor affecting their mental health.
Response
Google responds to employee protests
Google Spokesperson Bailey Tomson, confirmed that the detained employees were put on administrative leave, and their access to company systems was revoked. "Physically impeding other employees' work and preventing them from accessing our facilities is a clear violation of our policies, and we will investigate and take action," he said. Tomson also noted that law enforcement was called in to ensure safety, after multiple attempts to convince the protestors to leave the premises were unsuccessful.