Photonews Logo Photonews logo
  • Home
  • Pakistan
    • Punjab
    • Sindh
    • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
    • Azad Jammu Kashmir
    • Balochistan
    • Gilgit – Baltistan
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Videos
    Gen V Season 2 trailer
    Videos

    Gen V Season 2 Trailer Cast, Plot, Premiere Details

    July 26, 2025 3 Min Read
    IShowSpeed Daniel La Belle race
    Videos

    IShowSpeed Beats Daniel La Belle in 40-Meter Race, Hits 41M Subscribers

    June 24, 2025 2 Min Read
    Cardi B new single Outside
    Videos

    Cardi B’s ‘Outside’ Single Sparks Buzz Over Offset and Stefon Diggs

    June 20, 2025 2 Min Read
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Offbeat
  • Blog
  • Contact
Reading: Microsoft Terminates Employees After Protests Disrupt 50th Anniversary Event
PhotoNews PakistanPhotoNews Pakistan
Font ResizerAa
Search
  • Home
  • Pakistan
    • Punjab
    • Sindh
    • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
    • Balochistan
    • Azad Jammu Kashmir
    • Gilgit – Baltistan
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Videos
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Offbeat
  • Blog
  • Contact
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2022 Photonews. All Rights Reserved.
Microsoft employee layoffs
PhotoNews Pakistan > Tech > Microsoft Terminates Employees After Protests Disrupt 50th Anniversary Event
Tech

Microsoft Terminates Employees After Protests Disrupt 50th Anniversary Event

Web Desk
By Web Desk Published April 8, 2025 3 Min Read
Share
Microsoft Photo Credit: Drew Angerer / Getty Images
SHARE

Microsoft Corporation recently terminated two software engineers, Ibtihal Aboussad and Vaniya Agrawal, after they disrupted a high-profile event marking the company’s 50th anniversary.

The incident unfolded on the Redmond, Washington, campus, where a tent on an athletic field hosted speeches and a Q&A session with prominent figures, including CEO Satya Nadella, co-founder Bill Gates, and former CEO Steve Ballmer.

On Friday, Aboussad interrupted a speech by Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft’s consumer artificial intelligence chief. She accused the company of hypocrisy, shouting, “Mustafa, shame on you. You claim to care about using AI for good, but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military. Fifty thousand people have died.” Suleyman acknowledged her briefly, responding, “Thank you for your protest. I hear you,” before continuing. Later, Agrawal disrupted a Q&A session featuring Nadella, Gates, and Ballmer, further escalating tensions.

"50,000 Palestinians have been murdered with Microsoft technology"

Multiple employee protests disrupted the Microsoft's 50th anniversary celebration at its Washington headquarters targeting the company's support to Israel pic.twitter.com/CqUGyS1RiW

— TRT World (@trtworld) April 5, 2025

Event staff promptly escorted both employees out of the venue. By Monday, Microsoft had taken decisive action. Aboussad received an email, reviewed by Bloomberg, stating her termination was due to “acts of misconduct” deemed “hostile, unprovoked, and highly inappropriate.” Agrawal, who had planned to resign on April 11, was informed that Microsoft accepted her resignation effective immediately. Both lost access to their corporate email and chat accounts shortly after the protests.

Background on the Protests

Bloomberg identified Aboussad and Agrawal as software engineers and linked them to No Azure for Apartheid. This group has criticized Microsoft’s sales of Azure cloud services and AI technology to the Israeli military, citing concerns over Israel’s actions in the Gaza conflict. Their protests reflect a broader tension between corporate ethics and employee activism in the tech industry.

🚨A Microsoft employee disrupted the company’s 50th anniversary event to protest its use of AI.
“Shame on you,” said Microsoft employee Ibtihal Aboussad, speaking directly to Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman. “You are a war profiteer. Stop using AI for genocide. Stop using AI… pic.twitter.com/PdIqa6TSHo

— Ramy Abdu| رامي عبده (@RamAbdu) April 4, 2025

Microsoft declined to comment immediately, leaving the public statement limited to the termination notice provided to Aboussad.

Read: Pro-Palestinian Protest Disrupts Microsoft’s 50th Anniversary Event

The incident highlights tech giants’ challenges when balancing business decisions with employee dissent. As a leader in AI and cloud computing, Microsoft’s partnerships, particularly with government,s often draw scrutiny. For readers interested in corporate accountability, this event underscores how internal protests can ripple into public discourse.

TAGGED:Featured
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Whatsapp Whatsapp LinkedIn Email Copy Link Print
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

HBL Saving Made Easy
HBL Saving Made Easy

Recent Posts

Sohail Afridi Imran Khan Adiala Jail

KP CM Sohail Afridi Petitions SC for Meeting with Imran Khan

Noor Wali Mehsud Pakistan Afghanistan

Pakistan Blames Noor Wali Mehsud for Cross-Border Attacks from Afghanistan

Maccabi Tel Aviv Aston Villa

Maccabi Tel Aviv Fans Banned from Europa League Clash

Post Archives

More Popular from Photonews

India Australia Hand Shake
Sports

India-Australia Cricket Rivalry Heats Up with Controversial Kayo Promo

2 Min Read
Prince Mansour K-Electric Saudi investment
Sindh

Saudi Prince Mansour bin Saud to Acquire Controlling Stake in K-Electric

2 Min Read
Gold price record 2025
Business

Gold Prices Soar to Record Highs in Pakistan and Globally in October 2025

1 Min Read
Top NewsWorld

Hamas Releases List of 20 Surviving Hostages for Gaza Ceasefire Deal

On October 13, 2025, Hamas’s Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades published a list of 20 surviving hostages on…

October 13, 2025
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Sohail Khan Afridi Sworn In as New Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister

Peshawar: After days of political uncertainty, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed lawmaker Sohail Khan Afridi has officially taken…

October 15, 2025
Pakistan

Supreme Court Debates CJP’s Power to Form Full Court

Islamabad: The Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench (CB) on Tuesday discussed whether the Chief Justice of Pakistan…

October 14, 2025
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Sets Stage for Chief Minister Election on October 13

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly Secretariat approved nomination papers for four candidates vying for the chief…

October 12, 2025
PhotoNews Pakistan

Always Stay Up to Date

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

Categories

  • World
  • Pakistan
  • Punjab
  • Sindh
  • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Balochistan
  • Azad Jammu Kashmir

 

  • Top News
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Videos
  • Tech
  • Offbeat
  • Blog

© 2024 Phototnews
All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?