The employees were protesting against the company’s collaboration with Israel. 

According to a report by The Washington Post, nine employees were arrested at the confirmed locations, as reported by protesters spokesperson, Jane Chung. 

New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers reportedly warned the demonstrators that they would face arrest if they did not disperse.

Also, Google spokesperson Bailey Tomson stated that the protesting employees have been placed on administrative leave, with their access to Google’s systems revoked.

The protesters were urging Google to terminate its $1.2 billion contract, known as Nimbus, with Amazon. The contract involves providing cloud services and data centers to the Israeli government.

Some of the protesters were fully aware that their actions could result in the termination of their employment.

A software engineer at Google’s YouTube, Zelda Montes acknowledged the possibility of losing her job due to her participation in the protest.

“We often have the privilege of looking the other way and not having to consider the impact of our work on the world. I have been waiting for months for people to be in the same position as me and be willing to risk their jobs,” she stated. 

The protests have gained momentum in the past seven months due to the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.

In early March, Google fired an employee who protested during a speech by a top executive in Israel.

The contract under scrutiny was signed with the Israeli government as a whole.

Concerns raised by some tech employees revolve around the potential military application of their work, as the contract prohibits the denial of services to specific sectors of the Israeli government.

Recently, Time Magazine reported that Google has been engaged in discussions with Israel’s Defense Ministry.

Consequently, Amazon employees also participated in the rallies on Tuesday, expressing their opposition to the contract with Israel.