Twenty-eight Google employees lost their jobs after participating in a day-long protest at the company’s offices in New York and California. The protest was organized by staff members who support Palestine and oppose Google’s business dealings with Israel.

During the protest, the employees occupied an executive’s office and wore traditional Arab headscarves. Google’s vice president of global security, Chris Rackow, said in a memo that the employees were fired after an internal investigation because their actions were unacceptable and disruptive, and made co-workers feel threatened.

Rackow added that Google has policies against disruptive behavior and will take action against those who violate them, including termination.

The fired employees are part of a group called No Tech For Apartheid, which has criticized Google’s response to the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The group said in a statement that Google’s firing of the employees is retaliation for their protest, and that the company values its contract with the Israeli government over its workers. CONTINUE READING