Austin’s very own music festival, South by Southwest (SXSW), experienced an exodus of performers and panelists after Austin for Palestine Coalition (APC) called for a boycott of its sponsors. The organization, going on one year in its plight, lambasted SXSW for accepting sponsorship from military and defense contractors supporting the Gaza Strip conflict between the Palestinian and Israeli people.
Listed under its initiatives, APC seeks to pressure SXSW to disinvite sponsors that they claim are war profiteers, such as Raytheon, Collins Aerospace, and BAE Systems, all which appear to not be on SXSW’s current sponsor list. The U.S. Army is also under scrutiny for its sponsorship of the festival.
More than 80 performers and panelists withdrew their support of SXSW, which has a run from March 8-16. Some of the first artists that cancelled their scheduled appearances include Abe Balshon, Eliza McLamb, Ama the Band, Mamalarky, Merce Lemon, Squirrel Flower, and Shalom. The action caused a domino effect: Jess Cornelius, Scowl, Kneecap, Gavin James, Tiger Bomb, Soul Fire, Dr. Devon Price, Ruha Benjamin, and Lashanna Williams, among the exodus.
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Texas Governor Greg Abbott had some choice words for the festival dropouts. The politician took to the social media platform X to express his disdain, posting “Bye. Don’t 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 don’t like it, don’t come here.”
Organizers of SXSW quickly defended their position, stating that “SXSW does not agree with Governor Abbott. We are an organization that welcomes diverse viewpoints.” They also said that the festival “fully respect(s) the decision these artists made to exercise their right to free speech.”
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SXSW continued, “The defense industry has historically been a proving ground for many of the systems we rely on today. These institutions are often leaders in emerging technologies, and we believe it’s better to understand how their approach will impact our lives. The Army’s sponsorship is part of our commitment to bring forward ideas that shape our world. In regard to Collins Aerospace, they participated this year as a sponsor of two SXSW Pitch categories, giving entrepreneurs visibility and funding for potentially game-changing work.”
The protests are incited by an ongoing humanitarian crisis and food shortage, claiming the lives of more than 30,000 Palestinians following the Oct. 7 attack of Gaza, which caused nearly 1,300 casualties. Under President Joe Biden’s Administration, Israel has received military resources from the U.S., much to the disappointment of Palestinian supporters. An outcry for a ceasefire and advocacy for peace eventually made it to the White House and U.S. politicians have publicly proclaimed support of mitigating the loss of life due to the conflict.
