AUSTIN, Texas — A growing number of musicians are pulling out of South by Southwest (SXSW) due to concerns about the conference's ties to the military.
Last week, CultureMap Austin reported that a small but growing number of artists had backed out of their official SXSW appearances, citing the conference's ties with the U.S. Department of Defense and the weapons manufacturer formerly known as Raytheon. The artists have cited solidarity with Palestine as a reason for boycotting the conference.
That group continues to grow. The Austin for Palestine Coalition said Tuesday that more than 60 artists, musicians and panelists have now joined the coalition's campaign, "War Mongers out of SXSW."
The group is asking people to email SXSW, asking the conference to disinvite Collins Aerospace and BAE Systems, to reevaluate the inclusion of agencies in the Department of Defense and to "use its platform to raise awareness about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and advocate for peace, justice and the protection of human rights."
"It's absurd because, to me. the Army, the military has no place in a music festival," said Aaron Chavez, the keyboardist for TC Superstar, one of the Austin bands boycotting SXSW.
On Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Greg Abbott posted the following message on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter:
"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."
Soon after, SXSW reposted the governor's tweet, starting, "SXSW does not agree with Governor Abbott." The conference then wrote the following in a thread:
"We are an organization that welcomes diverse viewpoints. Music is the soul of SXSW, and it has long been our legacy. We fully respect the decision these artists made to exercise their right to free speech.
"Across the globe, we are witnessing unspeakable tragedies, the rise of repressive regimes, and the increasing spread of violent conflict. It's more crucial than ever that we come together to solve these greater humanitarian issues.
"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 regards 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.
"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."
But Chavez said he believes "you can't have both."
"You can't have the Army as a super sponsor. You can't have RTX, Raytheon, Collins platformed at your event and say that you're for human rights," Chavez said.
Abe Batshon, a Palestinian-American and the CEO of popular music licensing platform Beatstars, also pulled his company out of SXSW.
"This is not a military recruitment event. You know, this is – we're not going to war at South By. We don't need to drum up support for our next invasion of a country that we manufactured a war with," Batshon said.
U.S. Army spokesperson Matt Ahearn issued the following statement regarding the boycott:
“We’re proud to be a sponsor of SXSW, and to have the opportunity to showcase America’s Army. SXSW presents a unique opportunity for the Army to meet technology innovators and leaders, explore new ideas and insights, and create dynamic industry partnerships as we modernize for the future.”
Many of the artists boycotting the conference are part of the United Musicians and Allied Workers Union, which last year lobbied for higher pay for SXSW artists.
On Thursday, the Austin for Palestine Coalition and the United Musicians and Allied Workers Union will host a "Fair Pay at SXSW" protest show and rally outside of the Department of Defense/U.S. Military SXSW stage located at 800 Congress Ave. The event will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.