Fri Apr 04 23:27:59 UTC 2025: ## Microsoft’s 50th Anniversary Celebration Disrupted by Pro-Palestinian Protest

**Redmond, WA** – Microsoft’s 50th-anniversary celebration was dramatically interrupted Friday by two employees protesting the company’s alleged involvement in supplying AI technology to the Israeli military. The protest, which unfolded during a live-streamed presentation of Microsoft’s new AI assistant, Copilot, saw two employees take to the stage to denounce the company’s actions.

Ibtihal Aboussad, one of the protestors, directly confronted Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, accusing him and the company of complicity in the deaths of thousands of Palestinians. She threw a keffiyeh scarf onto the stage before being removed by security. A second protestor, Vaniya Agrawal, disrupted a later segment of the event featuring Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, former CEO Steve Ballmer, and current CEO Satya Nadella.

This public demonstration follows an earlier, internal protest in February where five employees were ejected from a meeting with CEO Satya Nadella over the same issue. The protests are fueled by an Associated Press investigation revealing that AI models from Microsoft and OpenAI were used by the Israeli military to select bombing targets in recent conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, including an airstrike that killed three young girls and their grandmother.

In a statement, Microsoft acknowledged the protests, stating that they provide avenues for employee voices but that disruptions to business operations are unacceptable. The company declined to comment on potential disciplinary action against the protestors. The incident highlights the growing controversy surrounding the ethical implications of AI technology and its potential use in military applications.

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