Google has fired an additional 20 employees due to protests over the tech giant's role in providing technology to the Israeli government amid the Gaza conflict, raising the total number of terminated staff to over 50, according to a report by AP.
Google Fires More than 20 Workers After their Protests
The protests centered on "Project Nimbus," a $1.2 billion contract signed in 2021 between Google, Amazon, and the Israeli government to provide cloud computing and artificial intelligence services.
Last week, employees staged sit-in protests at Google offices in New York and Sunnyvale, California, which resulted in police intervention and several arrests.
No Tech For Apartheid, the group behind the protests, initially reported that 30 workers were terminated last week, a number that later increased to 50 with the recent firings.
The additional dismissals occurred on Tuesday night, with Jane Chung, a spokeswoman for No Tech For Apartheid, confirming that "over 20" more employees were fired.
According to Chung, Google's actions aim to suppress dissent and silence its workers, asserting the company's power over them. She criticized Google for terminating the livelihoods of more than 50 of its own employees without due process.
"Google's aims are clear: the corporation is attempting to quash dissent, silence its workers, and reassert its power over them. In its attempts to do so, Google has decided to unceremoniously, and without due process, upend the livelihoods of over 50 of its own workers," Chung said in a statement.
"That's because Google values its profit, and its $1.2 billion contract with the Israeli government and military, more than people. And it certainly values it over its own workers."
Google's Response
In response, Google stated that it fired the additional workers after an investigation revealed details of disruptive behavior by some employees during the protests.
The company identified employees who attempted to conceal their identities by wearing masks and not carrying their staff badges. However, Google did not specify the exact number of employees terminated.
Google refuted the claims made by No Tech For Apartheid, emphasizing that it carefully evaluated each case and ensured that those whose employment was terminated were directly involved in disruptive activities inside the company's buildings.
The protests were sparked by concerns over Google's involvement in providing technology to the Israeli government during the Gaza conflict. "Project Nimbus" involves offering cloud computing and AI services to Israel, but Google maintains that the project does not include weaponry or intelligence activities.
This is not the first time Google employees have voiced their discontent through protests. In 2018, employees successfully pressured the company to terminate its contract with the U.S. Defense Department for "Project Maven," which aimed to assist the military in analyzing military video footage.
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