‘By Yelling and Finger-Pointing...’: What Microsoft Told Employee It Fired For Disrupting 50th Anniversary Event

Seattle: Tech giant Microsoft has fired Ibtihal Aboussad, one of the two employees who interrupted its high-profile 50th anniversary celebration in Redmond with pro-Palestine protests. The protest targeted the company’s alleged ties with Israel and made headlines after it disrupted speeches by top executives, including CEO Satya Nadella and AI Chief Mustafa Suleyman.

According to The Verge, Aboussad’s employment was terminated shortly after she stormed the stage during Suleyman’s keynote address. Calling him a “war profiteer,” she pointed fingers at the Microsoft AI CEO before being escorted out by security.

In an internal email reviewed by The Verge, Microsoft cited “aggressive” and “highly inappropriate” behavior as grounds for dismissal. The company said Aboussad’s actions disrupted the event and were seen as an attempt to “gain notoriety” while showing “no remorse.”

“You interrupted a speech by Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman... by yelling and finger-pointing... and making hostile, unprovoked, and highly inappropriate accusations,” the email stated.

“It is also concerning that you have not apologized to the company,” it added.

Another Resignation Amid Protest

Meanwhile, the second protester, Indian-American software engineer Vaniya Agrawal, disrupted the event while CEO Satya Nadella was onstage with Microsoft co-founders Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. Agrawal later announced her resignation in a mass email, stating that April 11 would be her last day at Microsoft.

The back-to-back protests have amplified calls within parts of the tech community demanding accountability from corporations over alleged defense contracts and AI deals with governments, including Israel.

Online Reactions Divided

While some on social media have hailed the women as courageous whistleblowers speaking truth to power, others have argued that such dramatic actions during a milestone corporate event were inappropriate and disruptive.

The incident also reignites debate around the role of tech companies in global conflicts, especially when AI and cloud infrastructure are increasingly being used in defense sectors.

As of now, Microsoft has not made any public statement about the incident beyond the internal emails reviewed by the media.