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Recommended reading Protesters return to Microsoft campus, resume demands for an end to dealings with Israeli military: 'Corporate abatement of genocide won't end by waiting complacently' Gaming Industry New report lays out Israeli military use of Microsoft services that prompted employee protests and a boycott of Xbox and Game Pass Arkane employees demand Microsoft sever ties with Israeli military: 'We don’t want to be part of this sinister project for Gaza' Gaming Industry Microsoft shareholders demand report into the company's 'human rights due diligence' over allegations of war crime complicity in Gaza Gaming Industry Brian Eno, creator of the Windows 95 startup sound, calls on Microsoft to sever ties with Israel: 'If you knowingly build systems that can enable war crimes, you inevitably become complicit in those crimes' Gaming Industry 'A future has been stolen from many of us and our community will never experience an amazing game': Microsoft MMO devs respond to cancelation of project Phil Spencer reportedly loved Gaming Industry 'There has to be a better way than this': Game developers call Microsoft's latest layoffs 'a colossal waste of talent' from a publisher that seems like it's in 'a death spiral' Gaming Industry 18 protesters arrested: Microsoft claims 'vandalism and property damage,' protesters claim 'genocide powered by Microsoft technology' Tyler Wilde 21 August 2025 Members of "No Azure for Apartheid" were arrested at Microsoft HQ, where they've been protesting the company's business with Israel. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: No Azure for Apartheid) After police dispersed them on Tuesday, "No Azure for Apartheid" protestors returned to Microsoft's East Campus Plaza in Redmond, Washington on Wednesday to continue protesting the tech giant's dealings with Israel, which allegedly include the use of its Azure cloud platform to surveil Palestinians and select Gaza bombing targets. This time, 18 protesters were arrested for charges including "trespassing, malicious mischief, resisting arrest, and obstruction." According to Redmond police, "a few protesters had poured paint over the Microsoft sign and on the ground" (red paint to symbolize blood) and "others had blocked a pedestrian bridge and were using stolen tables and chairs from vendors to form a barrier." Related Articles Protesters return to Microsoft campus, resume demands for an end to dealings with Israeli military: 'Corporate abatement of genocide won't end by waiting complacently' New report lays out Israeli military use of Microsoft services that prompted employee protests and a boycott of Xbox and Game Pass Arkane employees demand Microsoft sever ties with Israeli military: 'We don’t want to be part of this sinister project for Gaza' In a statement sent to PC Gamer, protest organizers said that "Microsoft chose to militarize its campus to harass, attack and violently arrest 18 people who refused to be cogs in the Israeli genocidal machine." A Microsoft spokesperson told PC Gamer that protestors "engaged in vandalism and property damage" and "disrupted, harassed, and took tables and tents from local small businesses at a lunchtime farmer's market for employees." The Israeli military, allegedly with the help of Microsoft's services, has killed at least 62,000 people in Gaza since October 2023, including thousands of children, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Over 200 people have now died of malnutrition, the ministry says, and according to the UN, over 1,000 aid seekers in Gaza have been killed since May. Israel has also killed hundreds of aid workers, at one point burying 15 in a mass grave, the UN reports, and recently killed six journalists in Gaza, the latest of many. "As we have made clear, Microsoft is committed to its human rights standards and contractual terms of service, including in the Middle East," said Microsoft's spokesperson. "The company announced last week that it is pursuing a thorough and independent review of new allegations first reported earlier this month about the purported use of its Azure platform in Israel." The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Those allegations appeared in an investigation by The Guardian, which alleged that Israel has used Azure to construct "a sweeping and intrusive system that collects and stores recordings of millions of mobile phone calls made each day by Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank" and which "facilitated the preparation of deadly airstrikes and has shaped military operations in Gaza and the West Bank." The protestors, composed of "community members and current and former Microsoft workers," declared Microsoft's East Campus Plaza a "Liberated Zone," renaming it "the Martyred Palestinian Children's Plaza." "As we recognize the sacrifice made by those arrested today, we also recognize that the militarism, physical violence and detentions perpetrated by the Redmond Police Department pale in comparison to the experiences Palestinians are forced to endure on a daily basis," said No Azure for Apartheid in its statement. "Every day for the past 22 months, the Israeli military has used Microsoft technology to starve and bomb Palestinians in Gaza, while actively displacing Palestinians in the West Bank in an ongoing campaign of ethnic cleansing and apartheid." Microsoft says it's doing "the hard work needed to uphold its human rights standards in the Middle East" as well as "supporting and taking clear steps to address unlawful actions that damage property, disrupt business or that threaten and harm others." No injuries were reported as a result of the protest or arrests, according to police. "Our message to [Microsoft CEO] Satya Nadella and other executives who are shamelessly shaking hands with Israeli war criminals to sign deals for genocidal technology is this: our movement will not stop, we will not rest, and we will continue to apply pressure," said the protesters, who have published their demands at noazureforapartheid.com. "We will show up to confront, disrupt, and take action in every place, at every moment, both announced and unannounced. Escalations will continue as long as Microsoft is invested in the economy of occupation and genocide." Tyler Wilde Social Links Navigation Editor-in-Chief, US Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call "boomer shooters" now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that's right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he's focused on the site's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League. Protesters return to Microsoft campus, resume demands for an end to dealings with Israeli military: 'Corporate abatement of genocide won't end by waiting complacently' New report lays out Israeli military use of Microsoft services that prompted employee protests and a boycott of Xbox and Game Pass Arkane employees demand Microsoft sever ties with Israeli military: 'We don’t want to be part of this sinister project for Gaza' Microsoft shareholders demand report into the company's 'human rights due diligence' over allegations of war crime complicity in Gaza Brian Eno, creator of the Windows 95 startup sound, calls on Microsoft to sever ties with Israel: 'If you knowingly build systems that can enable war crimes, you inevitably become complicit in those crimes' 'A future has been stolen from many of us and our community will never experience an amazing game': Microsoft MMO devs respond to cancelation of project Phil Spencer reportedly loved Latest in Gaming Industry Announcing The PC Gamer Streamer Showdown, broadcasting Sept 9-12 BioShock 4 studio lays off staff as former Diablo boss Rod Fergusson returns to get things back on track Fallout creator Tim Cain does the impossible, makes me shift my opinion on respecs just a little bit, because fine, I guess it does sometimes turn bad design 'into a player problem' Here's how to watch all the announcements and world premieres at the Future Games Show at Gamescom 2025 Actor Terence Stamp, who played General Zod in Superman and Mankar Camoran in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, has died Cars have had real-life DLC for a while, but now Volkswagen’s gone full pay to win, locking a car's max horsepower behind a subscription Latest in News The ROG Xbox Ally borrows a heck of a lot from the Steam Deck, proving that the old gated console concept is a thing of the past 'This is the Ally 2, 100%': Asus says the ROG Xbox Ally is a bona fide successor to the first two handhelds, but the originals will still get new Xbox features The roguelike Prince of Persia platformer is now out of early access and feature complete, though it may get more content if it 'gets popular' Goodbye Jason Voorhees, hello Michael Myers: Friday the 13th developer and publisher return with a new multiplayer survival horror game based on Halloween Randy Pitchford says Borderlands 4 is worth $200, but he wishes 'they'd give it away' The Subnautica legal dispute takes a surprise twist as Unknown Worlds—not Krafton—sues its former bosses for stealing confidential material on their way out the door HARDWARE BUYING GUIDES LATEST GAME REVIEWS Best PCIe 5.0 SSD for gaming in 2025: the only Gen 5 drives I will allow in my PC Best graphics cards in 2025: I've tested pretty much every AMD and Nvidia GPU of the past 20 years and these are today's top cards Best gaming laptop in 2025: I've put the best of this new generation head-to-head and we have a winner Best gaming chair in 2025: I've tested a ton of gaming chairs and these are the seats I'd suggest for any PC gamer Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads MSI MPG CoreLiquid P13 360 review Asus ROG Falcata Alienware 18 Area-51 (2025) review LG Ultragear 45GX950A review Sword of the Sea review—Atmospheric sand-surfing with somewhat samey puzzles PC Gamer is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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