Google terminated 28 employees who participated in protests against the tech company’s cloud computing contract with the Israeli government, as stated by the company and campaigners.
The workers staged sit-ins at Google’s offices in California and New York, opposing Google’s $1.2 billion contract to supply custom tools for the Israeli military.
They were dismissed on Wednesday evening following the earlier arrest of nine individuals by the police.
Google stated that “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,” Google said.
The company conducted “individual investigations that resulted in the termination of employment for 28 employees, and will continue to investigate and take action as needed”.
The group behind the protests, No Tech for Apartheid, challenged Google’s account of the events, asserting that the company terminated individuals who were not directly involved.
The group refuted Google’s assertion that the protests were part of a longstanding campaign led by external groups and individuals not primarily employed by Google.
No Tech for Apartheid shared photos and videos on social media depicting workers in Google offices holding placards, sitting on the floor and chanting slogans.
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