Microsoft blocks Israel’s use of its tech in mass surveillance of Palestinians

That will get you fired from bussing tables or washing dishes, let alone a six-figure job at MS.

Edit: Source on the last one; the first two were widely reported on in media:

https://lunduke.substack.com/p/fired-microsoft-employee-enco...

There's a couple of sub links off of that one. Not sure if that's what GP was referring too but there is mention in there of employees being terminated related to protests

Heck, it's usually because one will be punished that doing the right thing is in any manner noble. Otherwise it's just meeting minimum expectations as a human.

"In the aftermath of the protests, Smith claimed that the protestors had blocked people out of the office, planted listening devices in the form of phones, and refused to leave until they were removed by police. " (https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/28/microsoft-fires-two-employee...)

Protestors (in associated with the firing) also projected "Microsoft powers genocide" on the office wall (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft).

It's important that people engaging in such activity are dealt with swiftly and justly. Such behavior further encourages violence and destruction as acceptable behaviors in society, which they are not.

“Promote company-hating propaganda” is an interesting way to describe what happened.

I can agree with protestors, also think their choices are bad.

Is everyone so quick to forget that the rights we have today in the US were won through violence after all other methods failed? The 40 hour work week we enjoy today was also won through blood.

Now, in this case between employees and Microsoft I'd agree, no, vandalism wasn't necessary at all.

But when it comes to defending our rights and freedoms, there will come a day when its absolutely necessary, and it's just as valid of a tool as peaceful protest is in enforcing the constitution.

The consequences were appropriate, even if I might share some of the protestor's concerns.

Except of course Jan 6th, which somehow normalized the belief that the 2020 election was stolen AND gaslit a ton of the country into thinking the violence that occurred did not and therefore doesn’t need to be critiqued.

This admin is truly adept at labeling all forms of dissent or disagreement as unacceptable actions that make discussing the issues at hand impossible.

Are we talking about the military or some company?

If the ideas are good then support will build through effectively communicating those ideas. Being noisy is fine but there’s an obvious line that selfish activists cross. The sort of people who want their toys now and don’t want to patiently do the hard work of organically building up a critical mass. So they immediately start getting aggressive and violent in small groups. Which is counter productive.

that would be a nice compensation package in any first world country

Laws are backed by legal, physical violence.

But your employer? They can put whatever rules and restrictions they want on your speech, and with at-will employment, can fire you for any reason anyway, at anytime.

You can say whatever you want, but you aren't free from the consequences of that speech.

I know a guy that passed BillG in a hallway and said, “hey, Bill, how’s it hangin’?” (Saw him do it; I was mortified.) Just a bottom-tier IC at the time. 20 years later, he still works there. Still an IC, though, so make of it what you will. :-)

So there, now you have another folksy anecdote to balance things out.

I think think that violence or vandalism in this case was unwarranted, but there are some other in this thread who believe otherwise.

I guess that I'd say that, probably, vandals/criminals should always be punished, because they're doing clearly illegal things... and it's up to the protestors to judge whether the cause they're supporting is really worth going to jail for. If sufficient numbers of people feel that, you have a revolution.

(And also, a separate issue, whether the violence is actually going to benefit their cause. It probably won't.)

I certainly don't think that we should be in a position where courts are are judging certain crimes as forgivable because of their cause, while supporters of other causes get the full weight of the law for similar actions. I think the vandals on Jan 6th should get the same punishment as, for instance, similar vandals during BLM.

>”Corporations cannot exist without government intervention”

>”Some privates companies and financiers are too big to fail/of strategic national importance”

>”1A does not apply to private entities (including the above)”

>”We have a free, competitive market”

I find it very difficult to resolve these seemingly contradictory statements.

Sorry if that is unclear.

This is a fireable offense in nearly every company handbook in existence.

"Violence" like stoping the traffic. If that is violence...

If it was an open discussion in a meeting with 5 people, no.

Vandalism can be measured in dollars. How much did this vandalism actually cost Microsoft to repair?

It's important that we don't ignore context.

All these people hate on their employer and customers whilst simultaneously drawing a salary.

If they put their money where their mouth is, they can all quit en masse and let the company deal with customers without employees to support.

Clearly I get that their jobs and more were at risk, hence why I said they were brave. The only thing unclear is where you got the impression I thought otherwise.

You are posing a false dilemma where the only thing a person can do to voice there opinion is to destroy or disrupt things.

That's not true though. Instead you can simply voice your options. You can put out manifestos, publish articles in the newspaper, post to social media, or even talk to people in person.

All those methods are how speech and ideas are normally distributed in a normal society. And if people aren't convinced by what you say, then it is time for you to get better arguments.

Even if it just ruins the day for thousands of people, I have zero sympathy for such assholery. Whether you call it "violence" is unimportant.

I have zero sympathy for people like yourself that use their car every day and put their time before others peoples lifes.

The idea that everyone can just be convinced with a good argument is a nice fantasy but just never true in reality. You've also rigged the game since you can just dig in your heels are refuse any argument and just say "get better arguments". It's a situation no one else can win. If people could so easily be convinced that different people deserve the same rights then we wouldn't have had to spend over a century trying to get them.

Moreover, their actions didn't improve anything and only serve as further fodder for painting their side here as radical.