Without permission, two Microsoft employees held a vigil for the “victims of the palestinian genocide” at the company’s headquarters in Washington state last Thursday. Later that day, the event’s two organizers were fired.

“Due to privacy and confidentiality considerations, we are unable to provide specific details,” Microsoft shared in a statement the next day. It did clarify that it “terminated the employment of some individuals” (Abdo Mohamed and Hossam Nasr) “in accordance with internal policy” and that it remains “dedicated to maintaining a professional and respectful work environment.”

According to The Jerusalem Post, Mohamed and Nasr “were part of a coalition of Microsoft employees calling themselves ‘No Azure for Apartheid,’ purportedly protesting the sale of Microsoft’s cloud computing technology to The government of Israel.”

Former Microsoft employees said The Associated Press that Microsoft has “many community members… who have lost family, friends or loved ones.” Mohamed felt that “Microsoft really failed to have the space for us where we can come together and share our pain and honor the memories of people who can no longer speak for themselves.”

However, some media have highlighted the fact that of the two, “Nasr was previously the subject of internal investigations by Microsoft on more than one occasion, including for posting anti-Semitic memes online, according to his social media.” he was also exposed for calling Microsoft “an evil Zionist corporation that facilitates and empowers genocide” in a post on Instagram.

“Nasr co-founded Harvard Alumni for Palestine”, The Post Millennial reported“and was co-chair of the university’s Palestinian Solidarity Committee, an alternative name for Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), which is linked to terrorism and the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against the Jewish state.”

Mohammad, the outlet added, shared on LinkedIn that “he needs to find new employment in the next 60 days or face deportation.”

Since then Hamas attacked Israel On October 7, 2023, numerous and constant protests occurred around the world. In the last year, largely due to left-wing activism, cases of anti-Semitism have arisen”arose by 200% compared to the same period of the previous year.”

Several universities faced anti-Israel protests that caused chaos in campus. In many cases, Jewish students were prevented from getting to class while Hamas supporters organized camps and barriers. In July, anti-Semitic activists headed to Union Station in Washington, D.C., knocking down and burning American flags and assaulting police officers. Many of these protests passed largely without consequence.

It now appears that an increasing number of universities and companies are choosing to clamp down on destructive and disruptive behavior.

Microsoft’s decision to fire Mohamed and Nasr is not a unique event. In April, Google dismissed up to 50 employees in connection with the actions of the “No Tech for Apartheid” group that protested “the company’s cloud computing contract with the Israeli government.” Earlier this month, the group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at Brown University suspended due to “alleged threats and intimidating actions during an on-campus event” such as “hitting cars, shouting obscene language, and making racial comments toward others.” The daily caller explained how “demonstrators were protesting the university’s decision not to divest from 10 companies linked to Israel, following a divestment vote on October 9.”

When asked if companies in general are starting to adopt stricter rules around protests, Chris Gacek, senior researcher for regulatory affairs at the Family Research CouncilHe responded: “Every company has its own culture.”

“It seems to me that there may be some kind of recognition that, to run a company like Microsoft,” there has to be “some kind of freedom of speech and ideas,” he told The Washington Stand, adding: I really can’t allow that. This kind of thing happens,” where employees put their opinions front and center without company approval.

Additionally, Gacek addressed the likelihood that some companies, like Microsoft, will at least recognize that “October 7 “It was a big problem.” It can be “a discouraging recognition,” he emphasized, and it is beneficial for organizations to be sensitive to how they react to it. However, Gacek ultimately came to the conclusion that what is developing may be something that “we just have to let happen.”

Only Microsoft can give the exact reasons why it fired Mohammed and Nasr, and it has decided not to.

“We’re not in the company,” Gacek said. “It’s one thing to read a story from the outside,” but from the inside, many of these organizations that are starting to crack down on protests might simply be in “a position (where) they’re just fed up with this.” ” and “they don’t want to turn their company into… (a) politicized and unpleasant environment.”

Microsoft and others are reacting to “a lot of things in the culture” right now, Gacek added. “Reasonable people (can see) the coercive nature of the treatment of Israel.”

“Maybe the tide is turning,” he speculated.

Originally published in WashingtonStand.com