It’s early morning, and Zelda Montes walks briskly through the crisp New York air as they head to Google’s headquarters on Manhattan’s 9th Avenue. Montes, who self-identifies as they, fumbles with their ID card at the entrance, blending in with the steady stream of Googlers swiping through the security barriers as if it were just another day at the office.

Armed with an oversized tote bag, Montes pulls back their purple hair and heads to the 13th-floor canteen to order their usual: a dirty chai and an egg, avocado, and cheese sandwich with a bowl of raspberries.

Their hands tremble slightly as they grip the coffee cup.

Locking eyes with two others, they get the signal that the coast is clear, head down to the entrance, and sit. The three Googlers unfurl their banners and begin chanting to demand that Google do one thing: Drop Project Nimbus.

But this will be the last time they sit inside Google’s New York office as Googlers, as Google itself refers to its own employees. “Getting fired felt like a possibility but never a reality,” remarked Montes, one of 50 employees fired by Google for staging a 10-hour sit-in at one of its American offices in April.

For the last three years, Montes has been one of several activists calling for Google to drop Project Nimbus, a partnership Google and Amazon have with the Israeli government reportedly worth $1.2bn.

  • Llewellyn@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    27
    ·
    2 months ago

    It’s early morning, and Zelda Montes walks briskly through the crisp New York air as they head to Google’s headquarters on Manhattan’s 9th Avenue.

    Oh my god, why put in a topic about serious matter all that fancy decorum? I immediately see a man with a bun, typing this topic in a café, not caring a single shit about real people behind the text.

    • Buddahriffic@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      16
      ·
      2 months ago

      The description seems primed to generate the opposite reaction from the opposite sides of the political divide based on the reaction to the NB, coloured hair, and breakfast choice.

    • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      arrow-down
      4
      ·
      edit-2
      2 months ago

      If I had to guess it’s meant to evoke relatability for Googlers.

      I liked it because it highlights the comfortable world of the people abetting in the Genocide, in contrast to those suffering from it.

      There is a lot to gain for those who do not suffer from morals.