The workers held sit-ins to protest at the company’s offices in California and New York over Google’s USD 1.2 billion contract to provide custom tools for Israeli’s military.
Google has fired 28 employees involved in protests over the tech company’s cloud computing contract with the Israeli government, according to statements from the company and campaigners.
These employees were protesting against the company’s billion-dollar company which provides cloud computing and artificial intelligence services to the Israeli government. The company said it carried out “individual investigations that resulted in the termination of employment for 28 employees, and will continue to investigate and take action as needed.”
In a strict message to Google employees, CEO Sundar Pichai told employees why there is a need to be more focused “in how we work, collaborate, discuss and even disagree.”
Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s Message To Employees
Google CEO Sundar Pichai in a blog post, said that Google has a culture of vibrant, open discussion “that enables us to create amazing products and turn great ideas into action,” and it is important to preserve that.
He added “ultimately we are a workplace and our policies and expectations are clear: this is a business, and not a place to act in a way that disrupts coworkers or makes them feel unsafe, to attempt to use the company as a personal platform, or to fight over disruptive issues or debate politics.”
Google Fires 28 Employees Over Protest On Israel Cloud Contract
The workers held sit-ins to protest at the company’s offices in California and New York over Google’s USD 1.2 billion contract to provide custom tools for Israeli’s military. Earlier 9 people were arrested and now 28 employees have been fired by the company.
The group posted photos and videos on social media showing workers in Google offices holding placards and sitting on the floor, chanting slogans.
Google said “a small number of employee protesters entered and disrupted a few of our locations. After refusing multiple requests to leave the premises, law enforcement was engaged to remove them to ensure office safety.”
The company’s claim that the protests were part of a longstanding campaign by groups and “people who largely don’t work at Google” was untrue, the group said.
What Is Project Nimbus Or Israel Cloud Computing Contract?
An Israeli government deals with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google for a more than $1 billion project to provide cloud services for the country’s public sector and military.
Google staff were demanding that their company should end its $1.2-billion multi-year project named Project Nimbus which provides cloud and AI services to Israel‘s government and defence ministry.
A group called No Tech for Apartheid staged all these protests alleging that Project Nimbus is helping Israel in its military operations in Gaza.
(With inputs from Reuters & PTI)