Update: Google Dismisses 28 Employees Involved in Office Protests Against Israeli Project
08:15:18 AM ET, 04/18/2024 - MT Newswires
08:15 AM EDT, 04/18/2024 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates with response from Google throughout.)
Alphabet's (GOOG) Google dismissed 28 employees over workplace protests against the company's collaboration with Israel's government and military, the company said Thursday.
In a note emailed to MT Newswires, a Google spokesperson described the protests as "part of a longstanding campaign by a group of organizations and people who largely don't work at Google" and said the 28 employees were terminated after individual investigations.
The employees were dismissed Wednesday after taking part in or being linked to on-site protests Tuesday at the company's California and New York offices, news reports said. Nine were arrested Tuesday evening on trespassing charges, the reports added.
"A small number of employee protesters entered and disrupted a few of our locations," the spokesperson said in the note to MT Newswires. "Physically impeding other employees' work and preventing them from accessing our facilities is a clear violation of our policies, and completely unacceptable behavior. After refusing multiple requests to leave the premises, law enforcement was engaged to remove them to ensure office safety."
The dismissed employees, in comments to Bloomberg News, denied they had impeded access.
The company said it continues to investigate the matter and will "take action as needed."
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