Microsoft's Build 2025 conference in Seattle has been marred by consecutive days of protests led by pro-Palestine activists, including former Microsoft engineer Vaniya Agrawal.
Agrawal, an Indian-American software engineer, has been a vocal critic of Microsoft's ties with Israel and has disrupted major events, including the company's 50th anniversary celebration in April. During the Build 2025 conference, Agrawal and fellow ex-employee Hossam Nasr interrupted a session on AI security, shouting down Microsoft's Head of Security for AI, Neta Haiby, and Head of Responsible AI, Sarah Bird.
The protest was part of a larger movement within the tech sector, with activists demanding accountability for Microsoft's tech deals with Israel. Agrawal, who was fired shortly after her April protest, has become a visible face of tech-sector dissent, sharing ongoing protest imagery from Build 2025 on social media.
In her resignation letter, Agrawal denounced Microsoft's alleged $133 million deal with Israel's Ministry of Defence, claiming the company's AI and Azure cloud services were actively supporting military operations against Palestinian people.
"Microsoft cloud and AI enable the Israeli military to be more lethal and destructive in Gaza," Agrawal wrote in a company-wide email. The protests reflect rising internal dissent over Microsoft's role in supplying cloud infrastructure to the Israeli Ministry of Defence, amid heightened scrutiny over the humanitarian toll of the Gaza conflict. Microsoft has not publicly commented on the protests or the employees' dismissals.
The disruptions began on May 19, when an employee interrupted CEO Satya Nadella's keynote by shouting "Free Palestine" and demanding accountability for Microsoft's tech deals with Israel. The following day, a Palestinian tech worker stormed executive Jay Parikh's Azure AI presentation, declaring, "Cut ties! No Azure for apartheid!"
Agrawal's actions have sparked a wave of protests, highlighting the growing tensions between tech companies and their employees over issues of social responsibility and human rights.
