Pro-Palestinian protesters hold rally outside Google
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (CBS, NBC/KYMA/KECY) - Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters rallied outside the annual Google I/O 2024 developer conference at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View on Tuesday.
The demonstrators were demanding the tech giant divest itself from Israel and the halting of Google's Project Nimbus contract with the Israeli government.
"The message that we're trying to send here is that when the innovations and the potentially beautifully impactful things that are created in Silicon Valley are used to harm people, but that's not ok and we will not stand idly by," said one protester.
The $1.2 billion deal provides artificial intelligence technology to Israel. Protesters claim the system makes it easier for the Israeli government and its military to surveil Palestinians and force them off their land in Gaza.
Google has insisted the Nimbus system isn't being deployed for weaponry or intelligence gathering, but demonstrators accuse Google of war profiteering.
To watch the livestream of the rally, see attached video.