A group of current and former Microsoft employees, joined by community activists, staged a takeover of a plaza at the company’s Redmond, Washington, headquarters on Tuesday to protest its partnership with the Israeli military.

The demonstrators, organized under the banner No Azure for Apartheid, declared the East Campus Plaza a “Liberated Zone,” renaming it “The Martyred Palestinian Children’s Plaza.” Around 50 people were present at the start of the encampment, according to a press release.

Protesters erected tents, banners, and artistic installations commemorating civilian losses in Gaza, including symbolic shrouds and a plate inscribed “Stop Starving Gaza.” A negotiating table was also set up, with signage inviting Microsoft executives to “come to the table” to discuss ending the company’s Azure cloud contract with Israel. The group said it intends to maintain the encampment until forcibly removed. Microsoft has not commented on the protest.

The action follows a series of high-profile demonstrations against the company’s work with Israel. In April, employees interrupted speeches by CEO Satya Nadella and AI chief Mustafa Suleyman with calls to end military-related contracts. Both workers were later dismissed. Employees also alleged in May that Microsoft blocked Outlook emails containing terms such as “Palestine,” “Gaza,” and “apartheid.”

In its press release, No Azure for Apartheid described Tuesday’s action as “the biggest escalation targeting Microsoft” to date. The group cited a recent investigation by The Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Local Call, which reported that Israel sought to store up to “a million calls an hour” made by Palestinians, data allegedly used in military operations.

The activists circulated a manifesto urging Microsoft employees to “speak up, walk out, protest, \[and] strike,” while calling for broader divestment from Israel. The document also urged Microsoft to end what it described as workplace discrimination against pro-Palestine staff.