Google employees staged protests against the company’s collaboration with Israel, resulting in arrests at various locations including New York City and Sunnyvale, California.
According to reports, nine employees were arrested at confirmed protest sites, as stated by spokesperson Jane Chung.
New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers warned demonstrators of potential arrest if they didn’t disperse.
Google spokesperson Bailey Tomson confirmed that protesting employees have been placed on administrative leave, with their access to Google’s systems revoked.
Protesters demanded the termination of Google’s $1.2 billion contract with Amazon, known as Nimbus, involving cloud services and data centers for the Israeli government.
Some participants acknowledged the risk of losing their jobs, including Google’s YouTube software engineer Zelda Montes, who stated, “I have been waiting for months for people to be in the same position as me and be willing to risk their jobs.”
The protests have intensified amid ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, with Google firing an employee who protested during a speech by a top executive in Israel in early March.
The contract in question, signed with the Israeli government, raises concerns among tech employees regarding the potential military application of their work, as it prohibits service denial to specific government sectors.
Recent reports indicate Google’s discussions with Israel’s Defense Ministry, prompting rallies against the contract, with Amazon employees also participating in expressing opposition.