Microsoft hosts emergency press conference after protesters ‘storm a building’

Microsoft president Brad Smith hosted an impromptu press conference after protesters from the "No Azure for Apartheid" group gained access to a building at the company's headquarters and held a sit-in demonstration inside his office. The protesters were part of a group that has previously interrupted Microsoft's public presentations to demand the company terminate all contracts with the Israeli government and military. Smith acknowledged the incident as "unusual" and stated that Microsoft is committed to upholding its human rights principles and contractual terms of service in the Middle East. He said the company had launched an investigation earlier this month after a report by The Guardian about Microsoft's Azure cloud platform being used for surveillance of Palestinians. Smith disagreed with some of the report's findings but said others warranted further investigation. The press conference also revealed that two current Microsoft employees and three former employees were involved in the protest. Smith stated that the seven protesters "stormed a building, occupied an office, locked other people out, and planted listening devices," which he deemed unacceptable. The protesters were ultimately removed by the Redmond police.