Protesters caused a disturbance at the Amazon Web Services Summit in Washington, DC, by voicing their opposition to Project Nimbus, a cloud computing contract worth $1.2 billion between Amazon and Google and the Israeli government. The protest occurred during a speech by Dave Levy, AWS worldwide public sector vice president. The first protester, a young man seen in a video, stood on a chair with a Palestinian flag, calling for an end to Project Nimbus. He questioned Amazon’s decision to work with a government accused of being an apartheid state and committing genocide. The protester was escorted out by security and police. Following this, a second protester, a young woman, displayed a banner reading “LET GAZA LIVE” and accused Amazon of facilitating the slaughter of Palestinians. She, too, was escorted out.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have condemned Israel for apartheid, and the ongoing conflict has resulted in numerous Palestinian casualties. Israel faces allegations of genocide in the International Court of Justice, with arrest warrants issued for top officials. No Tech for Apartheid, a coalition formed in 2021, includes tech workers and activists united in protesting Project Nimbus. The group aims to pressure Google and Amazon to sever ties with the Israeli government due to the ongoing crisis.
In a statement released after the protest, No Tech for Apartheid emphasized the urgency of ending the contract amid the genocide. Amazon has not yet responded to requests for comment. The coalition has organized various demonstrations, including interruptions at tech conferences and sit-ins at company offices. These actions have led to employee detentions and terminations, prompting legal challenges. Additionally, over 1,100 college students have pledged to boycott Google and Amazon until Project Nimbus is terminated. The movement continues to gain momentum as more individuals and organizations join the cause against tech companies’ involvement in the Israeli conflict.
