Daijiworld Media Network - Oregon

Oregon, Aug 21: Eighteen people were arrested on Tuesday following a protest at Microsoft’s Redmond campus that turned unruly, with demonstrators vandalising property and disrupting a local farmers’ market. The protest, which was in its second day, demanded the tech giant cut business ties with Israel.

According to the Redmond Police Department, officers responded to a large gathering around 12:15 p.m. on August 20. The protest escalated when some demonstrators poured red paint over the Microsoft sign and resisted police efforts to clear the area.

Protesters also blocked a pedestrian bridge using tables and chairs allegedly taken from nearby vendors at a lunchtime farmers’ market. Law enforcement took 18 individuals into custody on multiple charges, including trespassing, malicious mischief, resisting arrest, and obstruction. No injuries were reported.

Photos shared by police showed the company’s signage defaced in red. Microsoft later confirmed that protesters had engaged in vandalism and property damage and disrupted local small businesses.

The protests were reportedly led by the group No Azure for Apartheid, which has been pressuring Microsoft to end its alleged technological support to Israel. The group claims Microsoft’s cloud services are being used by Israeli authorities for surveillance activities in Gaza and the West Bank.

These demonstrations follow a Guardian report alleging that the Israeli Defense Forces used Microsoft’s Azure platform to store intercepted communications from Palestinians.

Microsoft responded by stating that it had launched an independent investigation via an external law firm and had found no evidence that its technologies were used to harm civilians in the Gaza conflict. The company reiterated its commitment to human rights and ethical use of its services globally.