Google has fired 28 employees over Tuesday’s ceasefire protests at company facilities, according to a company memo sent Wednesday to employees.
Roughly 80 employees protested outside Google complexes in Sunnyvale, demanding the company drop Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion contract that provides computing services to the Israeli Ministry of Defense. They also called on the company to stop the harassment, intimidation and censorship of Muslim, Arab and Palestinian employees. While the protest was peaceful, five were arrested by Sunnyvale police for criminal trespassing after a sit-in at one of the company’s building. Similar sit-ins and protests were held at Google office in New York.
The memo which was circulated publicly by news outlets and employees online Wednesday, does not reveal how many of the 28 employees worked in the Bay Area.
Google states that protesters’ behavior violates multiple policies and code of conduct that all employees must adhere to.
“The company takes this extremely seriously, and we will continue to apply our longstanding policies to take action against disruptive behavior — up to and including termination,” the memo states.
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A spokesperson for Google could not be reached for comment Wednesday night.
Advocacy group Notech4apartheid, which also helped organize the protest, condemned the firings in an online statement.
“This flagrant act of retaliation is a clear indication that Google values its $1.2 billion contract with the genocidal Israeli government and military more than its own workers,” the group states.