Google has fired another group of employees following protests against Project Nimbus, a cloud computing contract with the Israeli government and military. The latest round of firings brings the total number of terminated employees to over 50, according to the activist group No Tech for Apartheid.
The protests were organized by No Tech for Apartheid, which advocates against Israeli apartheid. Google has stated that the fired employees were involved in disruptive activities during the protests, while No Tech for Apartheid claims that non-participating bystanders were also fired.
The firings come after CEO Sundar Pichai addressed the unrest in a memo to employees. Pichai stressed that Google is a workplace with clear policies and expectations for its workers and that disruptive behavior will not be tolerated.
The protests at Google come amid a broader movement against Israeli apartheid. Israel has been widely condemned by aid organizations and the international community for its actions in Gaza, which have resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians.
Google’s Project Nimbus contract with the Israeli government is worth $1.2 billion. Google has claimed that its work with the Israeli government is largely for civilian purposes, but the details of the contract are not clear.
The firings of Google employees have sparked outrage among activists and supporters of the Palestinian cause. No Tech for Apartheid has called on Google to cancel its contract with the Israeli government and to stop providing technology that is used to oppress Palestinians.
