By Clayton Vickers, BBC News / The Hill | Multiple bands and musicians scheduled to perform at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival are pulling out because of the U.S. Army’s “super sponsorship” of the event, and America’s ongoing support of Israel’s war on Hamas.
The Belfast, Ireland-based rap trio Kneecap — the most recent departure — called the relationship “depraved” in light of the war in Gaza.
“We cannot in good conscience attend an arts festival that has the U.S. Army as a ‘super sponsor’ and is platforming RTX (formerly Raytheon), Collins Aerospace and BAE Systems, the very companies selling the weapons that have murdered 31,000 Palestinians, over 21,000 of them women and children,” the group said in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Kneecap joins other slated SXSW performers like Lambrini Girls, Scowl, Gel, Okay Shalom, Squirrel Flower and Sprints in pulling out of the event to protest.
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In a statement to BBC, the US Army said it was “proud to be a sponsor of SXSW, and to have the opportunity to showcase America’s Army… explore new ideas and insights, and create dynamic industry partnerships.”
More on this here:
https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/4524332-bands-pull-out-sxsw-us-army-israel-gaza-war/
https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-68548015
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Greg Abbott Tells Musicians ‘Don’t Come Back’ to Texas
Texas Governor Greg Abbott hit out at musicians on Tuesday who are pulling out of the South by Southwest festival (SXSW) over the U.S. Army’s sponsorship of the event, telling them “Don’t come back” to the state.
The internationally recognized event brings thousands of visitors to Austin each March, showcasing music, film and interactive media. This year’s festival is running from March 8-16 and includes live panels and special events. However, it comes amid heightened tensions in the U.S. and around the world due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
The U.S. is currently the foremost supplier of weapons to Israel, and several of those systems are being deployed in the conflict. The U.S. Army is also spearheading the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
On Tuesday, musicians including Kneecap, Lambrini Girls, Scowl, Gel, Okay Shalom, Squirrel Flower and Sprints began pulling out of SXSW in protest at the Army sponsorship. They were set to perform from March 11-16.
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“Bands pull out of SXSW over U.S. Army sponsorship. 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,” he wrote.
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Oh, boy… read more here:
https://www.newsweek.com/greg-abbott-sxsw-texas-musicians-boycott-army-1878521
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Full List of SXSW Musicians Greg Abbott Has Told Not To Come Back to Texas
Around 80 musicians and panelists have pulled out of the prestigious South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Texas and Governor Greg Abbott has told them not step foot in his state again.
They are leaving SXSW over its relationship with the U.S. Army and major defense companies.
https://www.newsweek.com/sxsw-army-texas-musicians-pull-out-gaza-israel-1878761
[Thanks to Alex Teitz for contributing this article! http://www.femmusic.com]
Bands Pull Out of SXSW Over U.S. Army Sponsorship, Gaza War + More to This Issue
