Employees Stage Encampment at Microsoft HQ and Glorify Terrorists
The encampment, established by the "No Azure for Apartheid" group, featured current Microsoft employees, former employees, and pro-Palestinian activists celebrating terror
On Tuesday, August 19, 2025, protesters affiliated with the "No Azure for Apartheid" organization established an encampment at Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Washington, ostensibly to protest Microsoft's Azure platform working with Israel. The protest group, which includes current Microsoft employees, former employees, community members, and pro-Palestinian activists, set forth a list of demands calling for Microsoft to cut ties with Israel and declaring the plaza a "Liberated Zone" renamed as "The Martyred Palestinian Children's Plaza."
However, a closer examination of the imagery and slogans at the encampment demonstrate an overt move to glorify designated terrorists and promote extremist ideologies under the guise of corporate activism.
The Terrorist Gallery: Honoring Hamas and PFLP Members
The protest featured prominent displays with images honoring multiple individuals with documented ties to terrorist organizations:
Ghassan Kanafani: A former senior leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), designated as a terrorist organization by the US, EU, Canada and Japan, Kanafani helped plan the 1972 Lod Airport Massacre that killed 26 civilians, including 17 Americans.
Basil al-Araj: Hailed by Palestinian activists as a writer, al-Araj was in reality the leader of a PFLP terror cell who was killed in 2017 in a gunfight with the IDF.
Anas al-Sharif: An Al Jazeera reporter whom Israeli intelligence documents show joined Hamas's military wing in 2013, Al-Sharif was killed in an Israeli airstrike in August 2025.
Hassan Esliyeh: A photojournalist identified by Israeli security as a member of Hamas's Khan Younis Brigade who operated "under the guise of a journalist," Esliyeh crossed into Israel on October 7, 2023, alongside Hamas terrorists and photographed the invasion.
Hossam Shabat: Identified by the IDF as a sniper for Hamas, Shabat was killed by the IDF in March 2025.
Extremist Messaging and Slogans
The protest featured several concerning elements beyond the terrorist imagery that revealed the extremist nature of the demonstration. The naming of an "Anas al-Sharif Media Tent" after the Al Jazeera correspondent with alleged Hamas ties suggests direct endorsement of his activities and connections to the designated terrorist organization.
Equally troubling was the prominent display of banners reading "JOIN THE WORKER INTIFADA," a phrase that attempts to merge labor organizing with violent resistance movements. The term "Intifada" refers to Palestinian uprisings that have historically included suicide bombings, knife attacks, and other forms of terrorism against civilians, making its use in corporate activism particularly concerning.
Video evidence also captured protesters chanting "From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free," a slogan which the Anti-Defamation League classifies as antisemitic. The phrase refers to the complete territorial area between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea, effectively calling for the elimination of Israel as a Jewish state, demonstrating how eliminationist rhetoric was central to the protest's messaging.
Former Microsoft Employee Praise Hamas
As Jewish Onliner previously reported, Hossam Nasr, one of two Microsoft employees fired in October 2024 for organizing an unauthorized vigil for Palestinians killed in Gaza, had previously posted content on social media expressing pride in Hamas, when he took to X to exclaim “[I am] Proud of my local Hamas Chapter.” This connection raises questions about the true nature of the employee-led “resistance” within Microsoft.
Terror-Tied Coalition Partners
The No Azure for Apartheid movement's description of "community members and pro-Palestinian activists" joining the encampment raises critical questions about the nature of this supposed grassroots employee movement.
Most significantly, the No Azure for Apartheid movement operates within the broader "No Tech for Apartheid" coalition, which has co-hosted events with Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network. In October 2024, both the United States and Canada designated Samidoun as a terrorist entity, with the U.S. Treasury Department calling it a "sham charity that serves as a front" for the PFLP.
The Treasury Department specifically noted that "Samidoun serves as a front for the group in countries where the PFLP is declared a terrorist organization." The designation came after evidence showed Samidoun's role in raising funds and coordinating activities for the U.S.-designated terrorist organization PFLP.
The Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) has been another key collaborator in anti-tech industry campaigns. According to the Anti-Defamation League, PYM has "expressed support for terrorism against Israel" and "frequently propagates inflammatory rhetoric about Zionism."
PYM has co-sponsored at least 450 anti-Israel rallies since October 7, 2023, and members have openly praised Hamas's actions. At a December 2023 event, a PYM speaker praised Hamas's commitment to "the path of armed struggle as a legitimate path for total liberation." The group has also displayed imagery glorifying Hamas spokesman Abu Obaida and used bulldozer imagery referencing the October 7 attack.
PYM was specifically involved in October 2021 campaigns titled "No Tech for Apartheid," targeting Google and Amazon — establishing a clear precedent for the current Microsoft campaign.
The ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) has also been a frequent co-sponsor of protests alongside No Tech for Apartheid groups. According to the ADL's analysis, ANSWER's leadership has "expressed support for U.S. designated terror groups Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis" and "has also associated with Hezbollah and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)."
ANSWER co-organized a widely condemned October 8, 2023 rally in New York City's Times Square that celebrated the Hamas attack the day after the massacre.
Microsoft just laid off 9,000 people. They should add these clowns to their list.