A coalition of anti-Israel activists came together to protest at the annual Amazon Web Services (AWS) Summit, this year held on July 26 in New York City. Outside, activists marched with signs while inside, five people interrupted the keynote speech given by Swami Sivasubramanian, an AWS vice president.
One brown cardboard sign read: “Amazon workers united against apartheid.” Another with orange, round letters said: “Amazon: stop powering forced displacement of Palestinian families.”
The protests were in response to recent contracts between AWS and the State of Israel, and have thus been christened “#NoTechforApartheid.” Groups participating included MPower Change, Jewish Voice for Peace, Adalah Justice Project and Fight for the Future. Two employment unions were also involved: the Amazon Labor Union and the Alphabet Workers Union-CWA.
Political activist Linda Sarsour, MPower Change’s executive director, said on Wednesday: “I want you all to know that while the Palestinian people are suffering oppression, brutality, murder and genocide at the hands of the State of Israel; they’re still resilient.”
Since 2021, the perennial activist opponents of the Jewish state have been upset about Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion deal to provide cloud computing through Google and Amazon to the Israeli government and military.