In a wave of protest against the U.S. Army's sponsorship, numerous artists and bands have withdrawn from the renowned South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas.
The artists allege that the Army has provided weapons that aid in the "violent oppression of the Palestinian people."
The protest was initiated in February by the Austin for Palestine Coalition, which urged a boycott of SXSW due to its connections with the U.S. military and arms manufacturers. These companies, the group asserts, have furnished weapons to the Israeli military.
"SXSW must disinvite Raytheon (RTX), its subsidiary Collins Aerospace, and BAE Systems to the conference and festivals in the city of Austin," stated a post from the activist group on Instagram. "Raytheon, Collins Aerospace, and BAE Systems have direct ties to the arming of Israel, supporting their violent oppression of the Palestinian people. Raytheon manufactures missiles, bombs, and other weapon systems for the Israeli military to use against Palestinians."
In response to this call, several bands and performers have withdrawn their participation from the festival in a show of solidarity with the Palestinians.
"SXSW is harmful to working musicians in many ways, but I am pulling out specifically because of the fact that SXSW is platforming defense contractors including Raytheon subsidiaries as well as the US Army, a main sponsor of the festival," wrote Ella Williams, known as Squirrel Flower, on Instagram.
She continued, "Genocide profiteers like Raytheon supply weapons to the IDF, paid for by our taxes. A music festival should not include war profiteers. I refuse to be complicit in this and withdraw my art and labor in protest."
American punk band Scowl echoed these sentiments, stating, "We came to this decision in protest of the U.S. Armys sponsorship of SXSW. As well as the involvement of RTX (formerly Raytheon), Collins Aerospace, and BAE Systems whom have direct ties to the manufacturing and supplying of weapons used against Palestinians."
Artist Okay Shalom expressed gratitude for the support, stating, "Thanks for the support and solidarity re dropping out of SXSW. Theres always a right thing to do and its almost never as complicated as the establishment wants you to believe, and sometimes it costs you a dream, but a dream is a dream and not a life. Palestinians deserve to dream. They deserve to live."
Texas Governor Greg Abbott responded to the artists' withdrawal with a terse message: "Dont come back."
"Bands pull out of SXSW over U.S. Army sponsorship. Bye. Dont come back. Austin remains the HQ for the Army Futures Command. San Antonio is Military City USA. We are proud of the U.S. military in Texas. If you dont like it, dont come here," Abbott wrote on Tuesday.
SXSW issued a statement in response, emphasizing that it "does not agree with Governor Abbott" and "welcomes diverse viewpoints," including those of performers choosing to withdraw.
"These institutions are often leaders in emerging technologies, and we believe its better to understand how their approach will impact our lives," the statement read. "The Armys sponsorship is part of our commitment to bring forward ideas that shape our world."
The statement concluded, "We have and will continue to support human rights for all. The situation in the Middle East is tragic, and it illuminates the heightened importance of standing together against injustice."
Despite the boycott, SXSW, which began last Friday and will conclude on Saturday, reported that over 2,000 performers are still scheduled to participate in the festival.
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