Police detained demonstrators at Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington, headquarters on August 20, 2025, during a protest against the company’s technology relationship with Israel. The Associated Press initially reported 18 arrests; a GeekWire follow-up on August 22 put the total at 20. The protesters called on Microsoft to cut its ties, while the company and police gave accounts of the protest that differed from organizers’ allegations.
Why were people arrested at Microsoft’s headquarters?
The August 20 demonstration was held at Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington, on the second day of protests. Protesters associated with No Azure for Apartheid opposed Microsoft’s technology relationship with Israel and demanded that the company end its ties. The Associated Press reported that demonstrators splashed red paint on a company sign. The group characterized Microsoft technology as being used to “surveil, starve, and kill Palestinians”; that was the group’s allegation, not an independently established finding.
The demonstrations followed reports alleging that Israel’s military used Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform in connection with surveillance data about Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Those allegations were central to the protesters’ demands.
How many people were arrested?
The reported count changed in contemporaneous coverage:
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- 18 arrests: The Associated Press reported this figure in its initial story on August 20, 2025.
- 20 arrests: GeekWire reported on August 22 that the total had risen from the initial count of 18. Microsoft said the 20 included one current employee and three former employees; it said almost all the others had never worked for the company.
The figures reflect successive reports, not a basis for guessing at a final legal outcome. The Associated Press said police cited charges including trespassing, malicious mischief, resisting arrest, and obstruction. Charges are allegations, not convictions; the available reporting does not establish case-by-case legal outcomes.
What has Microsoft said about Azure and Israel?
Microsoft has acknowledged supplying Israel’s Ministry of Defense with software, professional services, Azure cloud services, and Azure AI services, including language translation. The company described the relationship as a standard commercial one governed by its terms of service and AI Code of Conduct.
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In a statement dated May 15, 2025, and updated August 15, Microsoft said its internal and external reviews had found no evidence that its technology was used to harm people. It also said it cannot see some customer use on customer servers or government cloud operations supported by other providers. These are Microsoft’s position and stated limits; they do not independently settle the allegations.
The review Microsoft announced
On August 15, Microsoft said it had engaged Covington & Burling, with technical assistance from an independent consulting firm, to review further allegations in a Guardian report. The allegations concerned an IDF unit’s use of Azure to store phone-call data from mass surveillance of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank. Microsoft said the report raised “additional and precise allegations that merit a full and urgent review” and said it would publish factual findings when the review was complete. The sources available here do not establish the review’s final outcome.
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What do police, protesters, and Microsoft say happened?
The accounts of the August 20 plaza protest and the response are not identical:
- Police account: As reported by the Associated Press, Redmond police spokesperson Jill Green said protesters were asked to leave and did not do so: “We said, ‘Please leave or you will be arrested,’ and they chose not to leave so they were detained.” The Associated Press reported that no injuries had been reported at the time.
- Organizer allegations and police response: Organizers later alleged police violence. Police told GeekWire they had received no claims from protesters and confirmed that pepper balls were used.
- Microsoft’s characterization: The company described the campus protest as destructive and aggressive and said it did not represent its workforce.
These attributed statements describe competing perspectives; they do not resolve every disputed detail of the confrontation.
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A separate protest took place on August 26
The August 20 campus-plaza arrests should not be combined with a later incident. On August 26, protesters occupied Microsoft President Brad Smith’s office. The Associated Press reported that police arrested seven people and that Smith said two of those arrested were Microsoft employees. This was a distinct event from the headquarters demonstration on August 20.
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