GOOGLE HAS FIRED OVER 50 EMPLOYEES AFTER INTERNAL PROTEST OVER COMPANY'S ISRAELI DEFENSE CONTRACT: STORY IN 5 POINTS

The source of the tension is Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion cloud computing contract between Google and the Israeli government signed in 2021. The "No Tech for Apartheid" movement, a group of Google employees critical of the company's business practices, staged protests at Google offices in New York and California. They argued that Google's involvement in Project Nimbus could indirectly support Israeli military actions against Palestinians.

The protests intensified as a group of employees occupied Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian's office for over eight hours. They live streamed their demands on Twitch, calling for Google to sever ties with the Israeli military and address worker safety concerns. Google officials responded by placing the protesters on leave and later requested them to vacate the office. When the situation remained unresolved, police intervened, arresting nine employees and bringing the livestream to an end.

In the aftermath of the protests, Google took a hard line. They launched an internal investigation and dismissed 28 employees directly involved in the protest. Subsequently, Google terminated an additional 20 employees categorised as "non-participating bystanders" by the protest organisers. This harsh response by Google, totaling over 50 firings, has significantly escalated internal tensions, reports The Verge.

Chris Rackow, Google's global security chief, circulated a company-wide memo deeming the actions of the protesting employees "unacceptable" and "extremely disruptive." As a result, he noted that the employees were disconnected from company systems and are now under investigation. Rackow emphasised that Google will not tolerate policy violations and will consistently uphold its standards.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai attempted to navigate the situation by emphasising the importance of open dialogue between employees and within the company. However, he simultaneously highlighted the need to maintain a work environment devoid of disruption and political debate. 

"We have a culture of vibrant, open discussion that enables us to create amazing products and turn great ideas into action. That's important to preserve," said Pichai in an internal memo. "This is a business, and not a place to act in a way that disrupts coworkers or makes them feel unsafe, to attempt to use the company as a personal platform, or to engage in disruptive issues or political debates," Pichai further noted.