Microsoft and protesters offered sharply conflicting accounts of a demonstration that led to 20 arrests on the company’s Redmond campus on Wednesday, with organizers alleging police brutality, and the company saying the vast majority of those arrested were not employees.
“We want to be clear that the destructive and aggressive protest that took place on our campus on August 20 does not represent our workforce,” the company said in a statement Thursday afternoon.
At a press conference Thursday evening, organizers from the group No Azure for Apartheid described what they called “unnecessary and unjustifiable violence” by police.
The dueling statements followed two days of escalating protests over Microsoft’s technology contracts with Israel. The group is demanding the company cut all ties with Israel over its alleged use of Microsoft technology against Palestinians in Gaza.
On Wednesday, demonstrators returned to take over the plaza at Microsoft’s East campus, poured red paint on a company sign to symbolize blood, and blocked a bridge, leading to arrests on charges including trespassing, malicious mischief, and resisting arrest.
Microsoft has pledged to continue upholding human rights standards in its tech contracts. Last week, the company announced a review of a recent report by the Guardian and others that its Azure cloud platform is used in the surveillance of Palestinians.
In its statement Thursday, the company said the 20 people arrested in the Wednesday protest included one current employee, and three former employees. (The total number increased from initial reports of 18 arrests.)
“Almost all of those arrested [Wednesday], including some carrying fake company ID cards, have never worked at Microsoft,” the company said. The statement added, “While we support employees’ rights to political expression, our employees know that our campuses are places for business and demonstrations on our private property are not permitted.”
No Azure for Apartheid held a press conference Thursday evening at a public transit station near the Microsoft campus, calling again on the company to cut ties with Israel, and describing the Wednesday protest.
Hossam Nasr, an organizer of the group and a former Microsoft employee who was among those arrested, said he was “violently tackled” and suffered a shoulder injury when a driver slammed on the brakes after he was placed in a police vehicle without a seatbelt.
Another protester at the press conference said he was shot at point-blank range in the back with pepper balls. Near the scene of the protest Wednesday afternoon, GeekWire reporters saw the protester with large welts on his back after his arrest.
We’ve contacted the Redmond Police Department for comment. The police said in a post on X on Wednesday that no injuries were reported.
An initial version of that post on Wednesday by the Redmond Police included a photograph of four officers arresting a protester who was on the ground. That post was removed and the photograph was not included when an updated post was published later.
Microsoft released surveillance video of the courtyard, which showed protesters taking over the space in front of the Microsoft sign on their bikes; attempting to corral a police officer inside a portable fence; confronting a DJ who was there for a local farmers’ market for employees; and ultimately causing the market to be shut down.
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