Google fires 28 employees as CEO Pichai warns against debating politics

Google has fired 28 employees after protests against the company and Amazon’s $1.2 billion Project Nimbus contract.

Google has fired 28 employees after protests against the company and Amazon’s $1.2 billion Project Nimbus contract with the Israeli government amidst the country’s bombardment of Palestinians.

While the organisation No Tech for Apartheid claimed that over two dozen workers were “indiscriminately” fired, a Google memo confirmed that 28 involved employees had been fired, reported tech outlet The Verge.

Around nine people were arrested by the police after hours of sit-ins at the two Google offices in New York and Sunnyvale. They livestreamed themselves being removed from the premises.

“They took over office spaces, defaced our property, and physically impeded the work of other Googlers. Their behavior was unacceptable, extremely disruptive, and made coworkers feel threatened,” wrote Chris Rackow, Google’s head of global security, in the memo shared by The Verge.

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However, No Tech for Apartheid previously disagreed with such allegations

“This excuse to avoid confronting us and our concerns directly, and attempt to justify its illegal, retaliatory firings, is a lie,” the organisation said in an earlier statement on Thursday. “Even the workers who were participating in a peaceful sit-in and refusing to leave did not damage property or threaten other workers. Instead they received an overwhelmingly positive response and shows of support.”