Google's parent company, Alphabet Inc, made a controversial move by firing 28 employees who took part in protests against the company's participation in the Israeli government's $1.2 billion cloud contract known as Project Nimbus. The employees were initially suspended and later arrested after staging sit-in protests at Google's offices in New York and California. The protests were organized by the "No Tech for Apartheid" group, which opposes Google's collaboration with the Israeli government in this cloud project that also involves Amazon.com Inc.
The terminated employees were reportedly involved in a protest at the office of Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian, leading to their removal by law enforcement. This incident adds to previous firings, including one employee dismissed for protesting the contract during a company presentation in Israel. Google's head of global security, Chris Rackow, emphasized in a memo to all employees that disruptive behavior would not be tolerated, with the company making it clear that violations of policies could result in termination.
Despite the protests and subsequent firings, Google executives have not responded to the "No Tech for Apartheid" group's concerns, highlighting the ongoing tension surrounding Project Nimbus. The situation has garnered attention from notable figures like venture capitalist Marc Andreessen and Tesla Inc CEO Elon Musk, who have publicly criticized Google's handling of the protests and terminations. The events unfold against a background of heightened tensions between Israel and Iran, with recent missile and drone attacks further complicating the geopolitical landscape.