Anti-Microsoft activists released

Friends Of The Earth Netherlands (Milieudefensie) members that were arrested on Monday morning during a protest at the Microsoft Netherlands headquarters at Schiphol have been released. The 24 activists who were arrested were smearing mud on the windows of the building in protest of the company's blindness towards the effects that their production of mobile devices is having on the Indonesian island Bangka. The labour conditions on the island's tin mines - which is processed for use in mobile phones, tablets and laptops - are very poor. The organization also says that there is child labour going on, and that the island is being ruined. According to AT5, the tin mine activities kill dozens of people on Bangka every year. According to Friends Of The Earth Netherlands, Microsoft will not publicly state its efforts to switch to durable tin from Indonesia. In this, it is lagging behind other companies such as Apple, Samsung and Philips. Microsoft has countered with the argument that the activists have never agreed to meet with American experts from Microsoft to discuss their durable productivity. The activists have had a lawsuit imposed against them.

@Microsoft do not make dirty hands. Save #Bangka island from #tin mining destruction. @milieudefensie in action pic.twitter.com/2k8dMFuiGD

— Evert Hassink (@EvertHassink) July 7, 2014