Ahmed Shahrour, a Seattle-based Palestinian tech worker, has been suspended by Amazon for advocating a worker uprising in light of the corporation’s contracts with Israel.
On September 8, Shahrour published an open letter on Medium and engaged with coworkers via Slack, raising alarm over Amazon’s association with the Israeli government and military.
He labeled Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip as genocide, a perspective that resonates with numerous human rights organizations and scholars.
Shahrour urged Amazon to withdraw from ‘Project Nimbus,’ a partnership established in 2021 between Amazon and Google to offer cloud computing infrastructure to Israel.
Within two hours of sending his Slack messages, Shahrour was notified of his suspension and denied access to his company email, signaling the start of an investigation by Amazon.
He was also asked to return his work laptop, and he fears that his activism might lead to permanent termination.
His efforts extended beyond digital communication; he distributed flyers at Amazon’s South Lake Union headquarters, inviting colleagues to join a budding campaign aimed at severing ties with Israel.
However, armed security personnel forcibly removed him from the premises, threatening arrest for trespassing due to his flyering activities.
This incident marks another instance of Amazon’s workforce activism.
In 2019, a significant number of employees pressured the company to embrace climate action, which resulted in the dismissal of several organizers.
Both Amazon and Google have faced backlash over Project Nimbus, particularly from the activist group No Tech for Apartheid, which is predominantly composed of Google employees.
Moreover, Amazon has fought vigorously against unionization efforts in its warehouses, including refusing to negotiate with workers in New York City who voted to unionize in 2022.
Shahrour expressed a desire to initiate a new movement within Amazon, drawing inspiration from the campaigns at Microsoft led by No Azure for Apartheid (NOAA).
Having been involved with NOAA since May, Shahrour studied its strategies aimed at gaining media attention for their cause.
“Currently, there’s no resistance whatsoever,” Shahrour stated.
“We need a presence and to escalate our efforts until Amazon feels pressured to abandon Nimbus and reconsider their partnerships.”
In his three years as a software engineer at Amazon, Shahrour felt an increasing conflict between his work and his awareness of the company’s role in Israel’s activities in Gaza.
He has worked across various divisions, including Alexa and Whole Foods, and claims that launching a worker-led movement has helped him reclaim his agency and power.
“It almost feels like I’m a traitor,” he shared.
“It feels like I am enslaved to some extent.
I have to comply with their demands, and I lack a voice.
Every day I come to work feeling hopeless and powerless, knowing that my labor is facilitating harm in Gaza.”
In response to Shahrour’s suspension, Amazon spokesperson Brad Glasser emphasized the company’s stance against discrimination and harassment in the workplace.
Amazon’s policy is to investigate complaints related to threatening behavior or language and take appropriate measures based on findings.
“We appreciate that the ongoing violence has affected many, and while we support affected individuals, we are obligated to uphold our policies to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all employees,” Glasser stated.
When asked about Amazon’s contracts with Israel, Glasser refrained from providing detailed answers, asserting that Amazon Web Services is focused on making its cloud technology accessible to all customers.
Shahrour noted receiving numerous supportive messages from colleagues and community members, expressing hope to spark a militant activist group similar to NOAA.
In addition to Project Nimbus, Amazon has established other partnerships with Israeli entities linked to military operations, including a courier contract with Israel Aerospace Industries and consulting services with KPMG-Somekh Chaikin, another Israeli firm involved in the project.
The network of tech companies, including Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, face mounting criticism for their complicity in Israel’s military actions in Gaza and the occupation of Palestinian territories.
In recent months, former Apple employees have protested against the company’s connections to Israel and Rwandan-backed paramilitary groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Moreover, the anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace initiated protests outside Palantir Technologies in multiple cities, including Seattle, urging the Washington State Investment Board to divest $74 million from the firm.
Shahrour believes that as more employees rally against involvement with Israel, Seattle’s tech companies like Amazon will inevitably confront the backlash of profiting from such contracts.
“There’s a resistance starting at Amazon,” he concluded.
“We are the workers and we outnumber the executives profiting from our labor to perpetuate genocide.
We possess power, we have agency, and we can demand an end to Project Nimbus.”
image source from：realchangenews
