Former Microsoft employee leads third day of protest at tech giant’s annual conference, targets ties with Israeli military
Indian-American tech worker and former Microsoft employee Vaniya Agrawal once again made headlines after disrupting the Microsoft Build 2025 conference in Seattle, protesting the company’s alleged complicity in the Gaza conflict.
Agrawal, joined by ex-colleague Hossam Nasr, stormed the stage during a high-profile keynote on AI security, accusing Microsoft of aiding the Israeli military, reported livemint.com.
The protest marks the third consecutive day of disruptions at the global developer event over Microsoft’s Israel contracts.
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The interruption took place during a session led by Neta Haiby, Head of AI Security, and Sarah Bird, Head of Responsible AI
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Agrawal and Nasr loudly demanded that Microsoft end its reported $133 million contract with Israel’s Ministry of Defence, claiming that its AI and cloud services were enabling “lethal” operations in Gaza
Earlier, on May 19, a Microsoft employee had interrupted CEO Satya Nadella’s keynote, and the next day a Palestinian tech professional disrupted another major session. These coordinated protests reflect growing dissent among some tech professionals over corporate involvement in global conflicts.
Agrawal’s actions at Build 2025 follow a pattern of outspoken protest against Microsoft’s policies.
In April 2025, she confronted Satya Nadella, Steve Ballmer, and Bill Gates at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington, accusing them of facilitating violence in Gaza through technology. She subsequently resigned, stating in her letter that she “could not remain silent” while the company “sided with oppressors.” Microsoft later dismissed Agrawal and another employee involved in an earlier protest at the company’s 50th anniversary celebration, calling their behaviour “highly inappropriate.”
Agrawal, who joined Microsoft’s AI division in September 2023 after a stint at Amazon, has remained vocal about what she views as ethical failures in the tech industry. Her protest emails and public demonstrations have fueled ongoing debates about corporate responsibility, employee activism, and global conflict.