'Shame on you all': Indian-American engineer resigns over Microsoft's Israel ties
“Shame on you all. You’re all hypocrites,” Agrawal declared, as another woman began escorting her away. Despite being booed by some attendees, she continued her protest
Microsoft's 50th anniversary celebration on March 4 took an unexpected turn when pro-Palestinian protests broke out during the event.
One of the most striking moments came from Vaniya Agrawal, an Indian-American software engineer in Microsoft's AI division, who vocally confronted former CEOs Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates, as well as current CEO Satya Nadella, while they were onstage.
"Shame on you all. You're all hypocrites," Agrawal declared, as another woman began escorting her away. Despite being booed by some attendees, she continued her protest.
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"Fifty thousand Palestinians in Gaza have been murdered with Microsoft technology. How dare you. Shame on all of you for celebrating on their blood. Cut ties with Israel," she said.
Ballmer, Gates, and Nadella remained silent during the disruption and resumed their discussion once Agrawal was removed from the venue, reports Hindustan Times.
Footage of the protest quickly spread online. Following the event, Agrawal sent a mass email announcing her resignation from the company, stating that her final day would be April 11.
"You may have seen me stand up earlier today to call out Satya during his speech at the Microsoft 50th anniversary," she wrote, explaining her decision to step away from a company whose work she believes supports Israel's actions in Gaza.
She referenced reports, including one by the Associated Press, which revealed Microsoft's $133 million contract with Israel's Ministry of Defense. The report claimed that Microsoft Azure and AI technologies have played a role in enabling mass surveillance and military operations against Palestinians.
Agrawal's protest was one of two pro-Palestinian demonstrations that took place during the anniversary event. Earlier, employee Ibtihal Aboussad interrupted a speech by Mustafa Suleyman, adding to the growing internal dissent within the company over its ties with Israel.
