A worker in São Paulo (SP) has won a labor lawsuit and received about US$5,400 in compensation after being fired from the technology company Minders, located on Avenida Paulista. Her employer cited posts on her personal Instagram account criticizing the Israeli government’s attacks on the Palestinian population as the reason for her dismissal.
The 15th Labor Court of São Paulo ruled that A.L.S., identified only by her initials to protect her privacy, was a victim of political discrimination. The case was concluded on July 2. She told BdF that filing the lawsuit was itself “a political act.”
“I was afraid, but I also wanted justice, not only for myself, but for all the people who are silenced for speaking out”, she said.
The dismissal took place on November 16, 2023, just over a month after the Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli bombings in Gaza. She said that denouncing the genocide of the Palestinian people had long been part of her political awareness, but her posts intensified as violence escalated in the Gaza Strip.
“My criticisms were always directed at the Israeli government and its policies, never at individuals or religions. I was criticizing an extremist project”, she recalled. “I always spoke against state policies, not against a people or a religion. And that is what the court recognized. That was a huge relief.”
Since A.L.S. was dismissed, more than 60,000 people have been killed in Gaza as a result of Israeli attacks.
Founded in Argentina in 2020, Minders arrived in Brazil under the name Product Minds in 2022 and represents consumer engagement and product data platforms.
In a statement to BdF, the company, whose registered corporate name is Endelary Brasil Tecnologia LTDA, said it “maintains an active policy to encourage democratic coexistence” and values a workplace “based on tolerance, respect for the diversity of ideas, thoughts, beliefs and cultures, and freedom of expression.”
However, citing “protection of privacy and professional confidentiality,” Minders chose not to comment on A.L.S.’s case.
‘Do not stop speaking out’
A.L.S. has a degree in psychology and theater and grew up in Mauá, a city in the metropolitan region of São Paulo. Since her teenage years, she has been active in cultural collectives and engaged in causes such as anti-racism, feminism, anti-xenophobia, and decolonization. “I have always been very political because of the environment in which I grew up. In the outskirts, in theater, in college. I have always published a lot about the things I believe in”, she said.
On social media, she said she always tried to share content with an educational approach: links, articles, videos, and analyses from reliable sources. “I am not an influencer, but I have friends and acquaintances who follow what I post. So I have always been careful to explain things so that people could understand better. It is an effort of awareness”, she said.
After the dismissal, A.L.S. took about three months to find a new job. Today, she is employed and continues to express herself on social media, but with more caution. “I no longer let coworkers follow me, only people I trust”, she revealed.
“Speaking out against the dominant ideology will always bother some people. But we have to fight for equity and justice. Do not stop speaking out, but do it with study and responsibility. What we say has an impact”, she said.
She said the support of colleagues and legal backing helped sustain her decision to go to court. “My lawyers reviewed the posts and said: there is no hate speech here. But in the end, it depended on the judge’s interpretation. And fortunately, he understood”, she said.
The favorable ruling had a personal and political impact. “I feel like I was vindicated by history. At the time, many people avoided using the word ‘genocide.’ Today, it is clear to the whole world. That is why I repeat: Free Palestine, from the river to the sea!”
In her posts, A.L.S. also highlighted actions of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Context: From October 7 to the devastation in Gaza
A.L.S.’s dismissal took place during one of the most violent phases of Israel’s historical occupation of Palestinian territories. On October 7, 2023, Hamas attacked Israeli territory, killing 1,200 people and taking around 240 hostages. Hours later, the government of Benjamin Netanyahu declared war and launched a large-scale offensive.
On October 13, Israel issued an ultimatum for the 1 million residents of Gaza City to leave their homes. Since then, the genocide has intensified. More than 60,000 people have been killed and another 146,000 injured, according to the local Ministry of Health. Water infrastructure has been destroyed in over 80% of the territory.
The humanitarian situation is critical: at least 154 people, including 89 children, have died of malnutrition, and the scenario of mass hunger has been recognized by international monitors. In this war, 158 journalists have been killed.
For A.L.S., the genocide against Palestinians did not begin in 2023. “It is a historical and ongoing process”, she said. She refers to the forced displacement of Palestinians since the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, which followed the 1947 UN Partition Plan. “It is decades of violence, sustained by a colonial logic.”
