Google software engineer says he was fired for just watching other employees protest

A software engineer, who was recently fired from Google claims that he was removed for no good reason. According to a report by The Verge, his removal was a result of him merely observing a protest against an Israeli defense contract at Google's New York City office. The engineer recounted that he was checking out the protest on the company's 10th floor lounge during lunchtime and later in the evening. Despite not participating actively in the demonstration, he found himself terminated by the next day.

The protest in question involved about 20 Google employees who were seated in a section of the office, wearing matching T-shirts and distributing flyers. It was part of a broader series of protests at Google offices, including an eight-hour sit-in, which had already resulted in several arrests and terminations. The protests were against Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion contract between Google and the Israeli government for cloud computing services.

The employee claims that he was standing close to the protest site, observing the other employees gathered there in matching t-shirts. A company guard then asked him for his badge to make sure he was a Google employee and not an outsider. The report suggests he was not questioned regarding his participation by HR before he was terminated from his job. 

Following the protests, Google was prompt and issued a strict warning against such activities. Google's head of global security, Chris Rackow, warned the employees that violations of company policy regarding disruptive behaviour are taken seriously and may lead to termination. Google claims to have conducted thorough investigations, which led to the firing of more than 20 employees, asserting that all individuals dismissed were directly involved in disruptions.

The fired engineer and over 50 other affected employees have lodged a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board. They claim unlawful retaliation, arguing that their involvement or perceived involvement in the protests was a form of protected concerted activity, directly related to their working conditions. This group, supported by the activist organisation No Tech For Apartheid, seeks reinstatement, asserting that some of those fired were merely bystanders.