Microsoft's 50th anniversary celebration in Redmond, Washington, was disrupted on Friday when two employees staged pro-Palestinian protests, voicing opposition to the company's ties to the Israeli military and its use of artificial intelligence in conflict zones.

The first interruption occurred during a keynote address by Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, who was outlining advancements in the company's Copilot product. Midway through his presentation, Microsoft employee Ibtihal Aboussad approached the stage and directly confronted Suleyman, accusing Microsoft of contributing to the Israeli military's campaign in Gaza. "Mustafa, shame on you," she said. 

"You claim that you care about using AI for good, but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military. Fifty thousand people have died and Microsoft powers this genocide in our region," Aboussad added.

Suleyman was heard responding, "Thank you for your protest, I hear you," while a security personnel took Aboussad away from the stage as she threw a keffiyeh, a symbol of Palestinian solidarity, onto the stage and continued shouting, "You are a war profiteer. Stop using AI for genocide". She also said that Microsoft has "blood on their hands."

Later in the event, another employee, Vaniya Agrawal, disrupted a segment featuring Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, former CEO Steve Ballmer, and current CEO Satya Nadella. The three leaders had not shared a public stage together since 2014, making the protest particularly visible. 

Outside the event venue, additional employees gathered in solidarity, expressing discontent with the company's reported defence contracts and technology partnerships.

The protests followed recent media investigations, including a joint report by +972 Magazine, Local Call, and The Guardian, as well as a separate report by the Associated Press (AP). These reports indicated that AI tools developed by Microsoft and its close partner OpenAI have been integrated into Israeli military operations.

This is not the first time Microsoft employees have voiced concern over the company's activities in the region. In February, five staff members were reportedly removed from an internal meeting with Nadella after raising objections to contracts involving Israel. However, Friday's demonstration was the most high-profile to date as it took place during a globally streamed event of the tech giant.

In a statement Microsoft said, "We provide many avenues for all voices to be heard. Importantly, we ask that this be done in a way that does not cause a business disruption. If that happens, we ask participants to relocate. We are committed to ensuring our business practices uphold the highest standards."

Aboussad later told the Associated Press that both she and Agrawal had lost access to their Microsoft work accounts following the protest and had been unable to log back in, suggesting that their employment may have been terminated.