Microsoft sends memo to staff saying ... as it fires employees who 'disrupted' 50th anniversary event

Microsoft has terminated two employees following their disruptive protests during the company’s 50th anniversary celebration. The employees, identified as Ibtihal Aboussad and Vaniya Agrawal, interrupted key moments of the event to voice their opposition to Microsoft’s business dealings with the Israeli government.
As reported by CNBC, the company sent an internal memo to staff in which it described the actions as “hostile, unprovoked, and highly inappropriate.” The memo emphasised that the company values open dialogue but cannot condone behaviour that disrupts events or undermines its operations. The employees were accused of making inflammatory accusations, including claims that Microsoft’s AI technologies were being used in military operations in Gaza.
Aboussad, who interrupted a speech by Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, was escorted out of the venue and subsequently fired. Agrawal, who disrupted a panel featuring Satya Nadella, Bill Gates, and Steve Ballmer, had already submitted her resignation but was dismissed immediately following the incident.

As per the internal memo, Microsoft wrote that Aboussad could have raised concerns “confidentially with your manager, or with Global Employee Relations. Instead, you chose to intentionally disrupt the speech of Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman.”
The protests were reportedly organized by a group called "No Azure for Apartheid," which has been advocating for Microsoft to end its contracts with the Israeli government. The group alleges that Microsoft’s cloud and AI technologies are being used in ways that violate human rights.
Microsoft has not commented publicly on the firings but reiterated its commitment to fostering a respectful and inclusive workplace.
Microsoft's 50th anniversary celebration took an unexpected turn when two employees staged pro-Palestinian protests, voicing objections to the company’s alleged ties with the Israeli military. The first protest unfolded during a presentation by Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, who was outlining updates on the Copilot product and sharing his long-term vision. The speech was interrupted when Microsoft employee Ibtihal Aboussad approached the stage and disrupted his remarks.
“Mustafa, shame on you,” she said. “You claim that you care about using AI for good but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military. Fifty-thousand people have died and Microsoft powers this genocide in our region.”
Later during the event, a second employee, Vaniya Agrawal, disrupted a segment that featured Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, former CEO Steve Ballmer, and current CEO Satya Nadella.