Google has fired more than 50 employees over the past week for participating in protests against its cloud computing contract with the Israeli government, according to activist group No Tech for Apartheid.
of washington post report The layoffs came in the wake of sit-ins by employees at Google’s offices in New York City and Sunnyvale, California, on April 16 to protest Google’s contracts with Israel. Google CEO Sundar Pichai recently said that employees should not use the company as a “personal platform” or “fight over disruptive issues or discuss politics.” announced a company-wide memo.
Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai attended a press event announcing Google as the new official partner of the women’s national team held at Google Berlin. Photo: Christoph Soeder/dpa (Photo Credit: Christoph Soeder/picture Alliance via Getty Images)
A Google spokesperson confirmed the additional layoffs as the company continues its investigation into the protests. Jane Chan, a spokeswoman for No Tech for Apartheid, accused Google of trying to “suppress dissent, silence workers, and reassert power over workers.”
The protests at Google are part of a larger wave of opposition to American companies and governments working with Israel. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators have been arrested at universities such as Yale University and Columbia University, while activists have blocked highways, bridges and airport entrances across the country in protest of the ongoing war in Gaza.
Google says each fired employee actively disrupted its offices, a claim disputed by employees. Some claim they did not even enter the office on the day of the organized demonstration. The layoffs are unprecedented for Google, which previously had a reputation for a relatively open office culture that encourages questioning leadership decisions.
In his memo, Pichai drew the line that Google’s openness applies to work topics, not politics. “We have a vibrant culture of open discussion that allows us to create great products and turn great ideas into action,” he wrote. “But at the end of the day, we are a workplace, and our policies and expectations are clear. This is a business.”
read more of washington post here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering free speech and online censorship issues.
