Artists and speakers withdraw from SXSW due to the US military’s support of Israel

Dozens of musicians and panelists have withdrawn from the South by Southwest Conference and Festivals in Austin, Texas, to protest sponsorship by the US military and defense companies, as pressure grows over the US military’s support for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

According to one of the organizers, more than 80 artists and panelists from SXSW had joined the boycott on Wednesday. Austin for Palestinian Coalition.

Ibrahim Batshon, a Palestinian American and CEO of BeatStars, a digital music licensing platform and longtime sponsor of the music and technology festival, withdrew from SXSW after learning of increased involvement this year from the U.S. Department of Defense. The United States is the largest supplier of military equipment to Israel.

Mr. Batshon, a Palestinian American known as Abe, said six of his relatives were killed in a bombing in November while taking refuge in a church in Gaza City.

“When I found out they were going to have a massive presence at a music festival where creatives and young people come together to collaborate and connect, I couldn’t get behind it,” he said.

Lambrini girlsa queer indie rock duo from Brighton, Britain, were among the artists who made statements on social media citing sponsorship by military defense companies such as Collins Aerospace, RTX and BAE Systems as the reason they pulled out of the festival.

“It is done in solidarity with the Palestinian people and to highlight the unacceptable deep ties the festival has with arms companies and the US military, which are currently enabling genocide and famine against a captive population,” said Irish rap group Kneecap . said in one rack.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Republican, struck a defiant tone in response to the boycott.

“Bye. Don’t come back,” he said wrote on social media, noting that Austin was the headquarters of Army Future Commandthe military branch created in 2018 to focus on technological innovation.

“We are proud of the U.S. military in Texas,” he said. “If you don’t like it, don’t come here.”

The Army Futures Command has been involved with the festival since 2018, but this year is acting as a ‘super sponsor’, a highest level of marketing. A festival spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for information on Wednesday and it was not clear how the military paid to participate as a super sponsor.

The military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Within hours of Mr. Abbott’s comments, SXSW organizers released their own statement, saying they disagreed with the governor but that inviting defense companies to the conference helped fulfill their mission .

“We are an organization that welcomes different points of view,” they say wrote, adding that “the defense industry has historically been a testing ground for many of the systems we rely on today. These institutions are often leaders in emerging technologies, and we believe it is better to understand how their approaches will impact our lives.”

Some bands who pulled out of festival appearances agreed to play an Austin nightclub on Wednesday at an event advocating for fair pay for musicians, according to the United Musicians and Allied Workers union.

The SXSW boycott is the latest demonstration of artist protest against US involvement in the Israel-Gaza conflict.

The Israeli army began a military campaign in Gaza after an attack by Hamas militants on October 7 resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people in Israel, with more than 250 people taken hostage.

Since then, more than 30,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.

The SXSW festival, first held in 1987 and this year starting on March 8 and running through March 16, typically draws more than 300,000 participants, according to Visit Austin. Last year there were more than 1,000 speakers, more than 300 panels and dozens of exhibitions at the festival. The event, whose broad remit is to explore the intersection of art and technology and their convergence with culture, will feature a range of panels, shows, film screenings and exhibitions.

For decades, SXSW has been a major launching pad for aspiring musicians and filmmakers, whose cool factor has helped attract the biggest names in tech (Michael Dell in 2022), politics (Barack Obama in 2016) and performing arts (Bruce Springsteen in 2012).

The one from the festival recommended speakers this year they include Oscar nominee Colman Domingo, singer and actress Selena Gomez and Meghan, Duchess of Essex.

Last Sunday at the Oscars in Los Angeles, actors Bradley Cooper and Mark Ruffalo and pop star Billie Eilish were among those wearing red pins to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

In November, artists Nicholas Galanin and Merritt Johnson asked the federally funded National Gallery of Art in Washington to withdraw their joint sculpture of an exhibition to protest US support for the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.