Eighteen people were arrested during a protest at the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington, according to various reports. The Redmond Police Department reported the incident in an X post.
“18 arrested for various charges during a protest at the Microsoft Campus. Redmond police are at the scene of a demonstration at the Microsoft campus. On Aug 20, around 12:15 p.m., Redmond officers were dispatched to a large gathering of protestors in the Microsoft courtyard,” the department wrote.
Police said the protesters resisted initial attempts to remove them from the premises, becoming aggressive in the process.
“A few protesters had poured paint over the Microsoft sign and on the ground,” the department added.
In addition, some protesters blocked a pedestrian bridge using stolen tables and chairs from local vendors, creating barricades.
“Officers took 18 into custody for multiple charges, including trespassing, malicious mischief, resisting arrest, and obstruction. No injuries were reported,” the Redmond Police Department noted.
The department shared three photos of the scene, including one showing red paint scattered across a Microsoft sign.
Microsoft released a statement confirming the events and condemning the vandalism.
“Today, the group returned and engaged in vandalism and property damage,” the company said, as reported by Bloomberg. “They also disrupted, harassed, and took tables and tents from local small businesses at a lunchtime farmer’s market for employees.”
“Microsoft deeply appreciates and supports the actions of local law enforcement officers and the Redmond Police Department,” the statement added.
According to Bloomberg, the protest was organized by a group called No Azure for Aparthei*, which called on Microsoft to stop selling products to Israel. The group claims the company’s technology is contributing to deaths in Gaza.
In response, Microsoft stated in a May blog post that it had “found no evidence to date that Microsoft’s Azure and AI technologies have been used to target or harm people in the conflict in Gaza.”
“As we have made clear, Microsoft is committed to its human rights standards and contractual terms of service, including in the Middle East,” the company added in a recent statement.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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