Google fires more employees over Israel contract protest

SUNNYVALE, Calif. - Google terminated more employees who protested in company offices nationwide over a contract with the Israeli government.

Google fired over 20 additional employees after sit-in protests last week at offices in Sunnyvale, Seattle, and New York.

The firings come after Google already terminated 28 employees who were part of the protests.

The group that led the demonstrations called "No Tech for Apartheid" said the Google employees were protesting the company's $1.2 billion contract called NIMBUS, saying the technology is being used to "help the Israeli military target and kill civilians in Gaza."

The latest batch of firings brings the total to over 50. The now-former employees accused the company of squashing dissent and said the terminations were retaliatory and that some employees who were fired did not participate in the protests.

"Google is throwing a tantrum because the company’s executives are embarrassed about the strength workers showed at last Tuesday’s historic sit-ins, as well as their botched response to it. Now, the corporation is lashing out at any worker that was physically in the vicinity of the protest— including those who were not at all involved in the campaign," the workers said in a statement.

Google has called the behavior of the employees who protested "unacceptable and disruptive" and said it violated multiple company policies.

An internal memo from Google leadership read, "They took over office spaces, defaced our property, and physically impeded the work of other Googlers."

The terminated workers said they will continue to fight against the tech giant until the company halts its dealing with Israel.