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Dozens of musicians and panelists have walked out of the South by Southwest Conference and Festivals in Austin, Texas, to protest sponsorship by the US military and defense companies as pressure grows against the US military’s support for the war. Israel against Hamas in Gaza.
More than 80 SXSW artists and panelists had joined the boycott on Wednesday, according to one of the organizers, the Austin Coalition for Palestine.
Ibrahim Batshon, a Palestinian-American and CEO of BeatStars, a digital music licensing platform and longtime sponsor of the music and technology festival, pulled out of SXSW after learning of the increased participation this year from the Department of Defense of the United States. The United States is Israel’s largest supplier of military equipment.
Batshon, who is Palestinian-American and known as Abe, said six members of his family were killed in a bombing in November while taking shelter 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 support that,” he said.
lambrini girlsa queer indie rock duo from Brighton in Britain, were among many of the artists who made statements on social media citing sponsorship from military defense contractors such as Collins Aerospace, RTX and BAE Systems as the reason they pulled out of the festival.
“It is done in solidarity with the people of Palestine and to highlight the deep and unacceptable links the festival has with the arms companies and the US military that at this very moment are enabling genocide and famine against a trapped population,” he said. Irish rap group Kneecap. said in a statement.
Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, struck a defiant tone in response to the boycott.
“Goodbye. Don’t come back,” he said. wrote on social media, noting that Austin was the headquarters of Army Futures Commandthe branch of the Army founded in 2018 to focus on technological innovation.
“We are proud of the American military in Texas,” he said. “If you don’t like it, don’t come here.”
The Army Futures Command has been involved in the festival since 2018, but this year it is acting as a “super sponsor,” a higher level of marketing. A spokesperson for the festival did not immediately respond to a request for information Wednesday, and it was unclear how much the Army paid to participate as a super sponsor.
“We are proud to be a sponsor of SXSW and have the opportunity to showcase the United States military,” said Lt. Col. Lindsey Elder, Army spokesperson. “SXSW presents a unique opportunity for the Army to meet with technology leaders and innovators, explore new ideas and knowledge, and create dynamic industry partnerships as we modernize for the future.”
Within hours of Mr. Abbott’s comments, SXSW organizers issued 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 diverse 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 best to understand how their approach will impact our lives.”
Some of the bands that pulled out of festival performances agreed to play at a nightclub in Austin on Wednesday at an event advocating for fair pay for musicians, according to the United Musicians and Related Workers labor union.
The SXSW boycott is the latest show of artists protesting the United States’ involvement in the Israel-Gaza conflict.
The Israel Defense Forces began a military campaign in Gaza after an attack by Hamas militants on October 7 left 1,200 people dead in Israel and more than 250 people taken hostage.
Since then, more than 30,000 people have died in Gaza, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
The SXSW festival, which was first held in 1987 and began this year on March 8 and will end on March 16, typically attracts more than 300,000 attendees, according to Visit Austin. Last year, the festival featured more than 1,000 speakers, more than 300 panels and dozens of exhibitions. The event, whose broad remit includes exploring the intersection of art and technology and their convergence with culture, features a variety of panels, performances, film screenings and exhibitions.
For decades, SXSW has been a major launching point for budding 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 festivals featured speakers This year, Oscar nominee Colman Domingo, singer and actress Selena Gómez and Meghan, the Duchess of Essex, stand out.
Last Sunday at the Oscars ceremony in Los Angeles, actor Mark Ruffalo and pop star Billie Eilish were among those who wore 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 remove your joint sculpture of an exhibition to protest US support for the Israeli bombing of Gaza.