Tech giant Microsoft is being targeted for its business ties with Israel. A group of protesters, including current and former employees, gathered at the company’s Redmond headquarters and entered Microsoft President Brad Smith’s office, accusing the company of supporting “genocide.”

The protesters chanted slogans such as “Brad Smith, you can’t hide, you support genocide,” claiming Smith had committed a “crime against humanity.” According to information shared by The Verge, the protesters included former employees allegedly fired for their activist activities. As the incident escalated, Microsoft decided to temporarily close the facility.

Microsoft Issues First Statement

Hours after the incident, Brad Smith held a press conference at the office where the incident took place, stating that they support freedom of expression as long as it complies with the law. Smith emphasized Microsoft’s commitment to human rights and announced that an internal investigation has been launched into the accusations.

This action is the latest in a months-long backlash against Microsoft. The cloud computing contracts the company signed with Israel, allegations that these technologies were used to spy on Palestinians, and accusations that Israel collected millions of phone call data through Microsoft services have long been on the agenda of activist groups.