Google fires more workers after protests against contract with Israel

Google has laid off more than 20 additional employees following last week’s protests over its cloud computing contract with the Israeli government, the group organizing the protests announced Monday night.

According to No Tech for Apartheid, the latest layoffs bring the total number of employees laid off to more than 50.

“Tonight, in an act of aggressive and desperate retaliation, Google fired more than 20 additional employees, including bystanders who did not participate during last week’s protests,” the activist group said in a statement.

Google confirmed it had laid off additional employees, but did not specify how many. A spokesperson said the employees were “found to have been directly involved in subversive activities.”

“Again, all of those whose employment was terminated were personally and conclusively involved in disruptive activity within the building. We have carefully reviewed and reaffirmed this.” added the spokesperson.

Google initially announced that it staged sit-ins at its offices in New York City and Sunnyvale, Calif., to protest a $1.2 billion contract it shares with Amazon to provide cloud computing services to the Israeli government. Last week, the company laid off more than 20 employees.

The tech giant said some employees “took time to identify as their identities were partially obscured, including by wearing masks without badges while engaged in disruption.” .

The controversial contract at the center of the protest movement, known as Project Nimbus, has faced backlash from workers and activists since it was first signed in 2021. But opposition to the cloud computing deal has intensified as Israel continues its military operations in Gaza. Hamas surprise attack on October 7th.

No Tech for Apartheid claimed on Monday that Google is “suppressing opposition, silencing employees, and reasserting its power over its employees.”

The group added: “In that endeavor, Google has decided to upend the lives of more than 50 of its own employees without due process.” “That’s because Google cares more about its profits and its $1.2 billion contract with the Israeli government and military than people.”