WASHINGTON: Police arrested 18 people on Wednesday during the second day of pro-Palestinian protests led by current and former Microsoft employees at the tech giant’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington.
The arrests came a day after officers dismantled an encampment set up by the worker-led campaign group “No Azure for Apartheid,” which is demanding Microsoft end its ties with the Israeli military amid reports that the company’s technology has been used to facilitate mass surveillance of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, and assist in selecting bombing targets during the war on Gaza.
Redmond police said they arrested 18 demonstators who “resisted and became aggressive” as officers tried to disperse the protests at Microsoft’s campus.
“A few protesters had poured paint over the Microsoft sign and on the ground. Others had blocked a pedestrian bridge and were using stolen tables and chairs from vendors to form a barrier,” Redmond police department said in a post on X.
18 arrested for various charges during a protest at Microsoft Campus
