Microsoft’s 50th anniversary celebration took an unexpected turn on Friday when two employees staged pro-Palestinian protests during the company’s high-profile event, raising objections to its reported involvement with the Israeli military.
The first protest occurred while Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman was presenting updates on the company’s Copilot product and outlining his long-term vision. As he spoke, Microsoft employee Ibtihal Aboussad approached the stage and interrupted his remarks.
“Mustafa, shame on you,” she said. “You claim that you care about using AI for good but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military. Fifty-thousand people have died and Microsoft powers this genocide in our region.”
Suleyman responded, “Thank you for your protest, I hear you,” before Aboussad continued, accusing the company of having “blood on their hands.” She then threw a keffiyeh scarf—widely seen as a symbol of Palestinian support—onto the stage and was escorted from the venue.
Later in the event, a second employee, Vaniya Agrawal , interrupted another segment featuring Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, former CEO Steve Ballmer, and current CEO Satya Nadella. The three had not appeared together publicly since 2014. Meanwhile, more employees rallied outside the venue.
The protest followed an Associated Press investigation earlier this year which reported that AI tools from Microsoft and OpenAI were used in an Israeli military programme to help identify bombing targets in Gaza and Lebanon. The story included an account of a 2023 airstrike that mistakenly hit a civilian vehicle in Lebanon, killing three children and their grandmother.
Friday’s demonstrations were not the first. In February, five Microsoft employees were removed from an internal meeting with Nadella after protesting the company’s contracts related to Israel. However, the anniversary event—livestreamed globally—marked the most public setting yet for such dissent.
In a statement, Microsoft said: “We provide many avenues for all voices to be heard. Importantly, we ask that this be done in a way that does not cause a business disruption. If that happens, we ask participants to relocate. We are committed to ensuring our business practices uphold the highest standards.”
Aboussad later told the Associated Press that she and Agrawal had lost access to their work accounts after the protest and had been unable to log back in—an indication they may have been dismissed.
The first protest occurred while Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman was presenting updates on the company’s Copilot product and outlining his long-term vision. As he spoke, Microsoft employee Ibtihal Aboussad approached the stage and interrupted his remarks.
“Mustafa, shame on you,” she said. “You claim that you care about using AI for good but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military. Fifty-thousand people have died and Microsoft powers this genocide in our region.”
An employee disrupted Microsoft’s 50th anniversary event to protest its use of AI.
— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng) April 4, 2025
“Shame on you,” said Microsoft worker Ibtihal Aboussad, speaking directly to Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman. “You are a war profiteer. Stop using AI for genocide. Stop using AI for genocide in… pic.twitter.com/cfub3OJuRv
Suleyman responded, “Thank you for your protest, I hear you,” before Aboussad continued, accusing the company of having “blood on their hands.” She then threw a keffiyeh scarf—widely seen as a symbol of Palestinian support—onto the stage and was escorted from the venue.
Later in the event, a second employee, Vaniya Agrawal , interrupted another segment featuring Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, former CEO Steve Ballmer, and current CEO Satya Nadella. The three had not appeared together publicly since 2014. Meanwhile, more employees rallied outside the venue.
The protest followed an Associated Press investigation earlier this year which reported that AI tools from Microsoft and OpenAI were used in an Israeli military programme to help identify bombing targets in Gaza and Lebanon. The story included an account of a 2023 airstrike that mistakenly hit a civilian vehicle in Lebanon, killing three children and their grandmother.
Friday’s demonstrations were not the first. In February, five Microsoft employees were removed from an internal meeting with Nadella after protesting the company’s contracts related to Israel. However, the anniversary event—livestreamed globally—marked the most public setting yet for such dissent.
In a statement, Microsoft said: “We provide many avenues for all voices to be heard. Importantly, we ask that this be done in a way that does not cause a business disruption. If that happens, we ask participants to relocate. We are committed to ensuring our business practices uphold the highest standards.”
Aboussad later told the Associated Press that she and Agrawal had lost access to their work accounts after the protest and had been unable to log back in—an indication they may have been dismissed.
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