In a bold demonstration against Google's involvement in Israeli military contracts, nine employees of the tech giant were arrested on Tuesday night after staging a sit-in protest at the company's offices in New York and Sunnyvale, California. The arrests, along with protests in other cities, were livestreamed on Twitch by participants, drawing attention to the issue.

Led by the "No Tech for Apartheid" organization, the protests specifically targeted Project Nimbus, a joint $1.2 billion contract between Google and Amazon to provide cloud computing services to the Israeli government and military. The contract includes the provision of artificial intelligence tools, data centers, and other cloud infrastructure.

During the sit-in at Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian's office in Sunnyvale, protesters remained for more than nine hours until their arrests. They expressed their demands on Kurian's whiteboard and donned shirts with the words "Googler against genocide." In New York, protesters occupied a three-floor common space. Five workers from Sunnyvale and four from New York were ultimately arrested.

The demonstrators voiced their opposition to Google's involvement in military contracts, regardless of the government they are with, citing concerns about the impact on people who may be on the receiving end of military actions. Cheyne Anderson, a Google Cloud software engineer based in Washington, stated, "On a personal level, I am opposed to Google taking any military contracts… because Google is an international company, and no matter which military it's with, there are always going to be people on the receiving end."

In response to the protests, a Google spokesperson emphasized that their cloud services are not directed at sensitive or military workloads related to weapons or intelligence services. The company stated that they support various governments worldwide, including the Israeli government, with their cloud computing services.

These demonstrations underscore the growing pressure Google faces from employees who oppose the military use of its artificial intelligence and cloud technology. Last month, a Google Cloud engineer was fired after interrupting a keynote speech to express their refusal to "build technology that powers genocide." Additionally, an internal employee message board discussing the company's Israeli military contracts was shut down due to "divisive content."

The protests coincided with recent tensions in the region, which saw deadly attacks by Hamas on Israel followed by a declaration of war and a siege on Gaza. According to the Gaza Strip's Health Ministry, over 33,000 people have been killed since the conflict escalated.

Ariel Koren, a former Google employee and leader of efforts against the Project Nimbus contract, believes that the protests indicate Google's failure to suppress opposition and instead strengthen the resolve of protesters.

Following their arrests, the workers in New York and Sunnyvale were released from the police station after about four hours. However, they were placed on administrative leave and had their work accounts and office access suspended.

The workers' protest, in addition to addressing the Israeli military contracts, also highlighted labor conditions and called for an end to the harassment, intimidation, and censorship of Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim employees. They further demanded that Google address the health and safety concerns faced by workers, particularly those in Google Cloud.

In response to the protests, a Google spokesperson said that physically impeding employees' work and preventing access to facilities violate company policies, leading to the employees being placed on administrative leave and their access to systems being cut. The company also stated that it would investigate the matter and take further action as necessary to ensure office safety.

The protests have once again brought to light the ethical concerns surrounding tech companies' involvement in military and government contracts, emphasizing the need for transparency and scrutiny in these partnerships.