SXSW, Texas Governor Greg Abbott Spar On Bands Pulling Out In Protest Of Military Sponsorship

Its organizers The annual South by Southwest music festival in Austin caught up with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on social media Tuesday. After the governor criticized bands that had pulled out of the festival over objections to its sponsorship by the US military, writing “Don't come back”, of the festival Official X, formerly the Twitter account, responded, “SXSW does not agree with Governor Abbott.” The music component of the festival started on Monday and will run until Saturday.

Last week, several artists, including Kneecap, Scowl, Squirrel Flower, Eliza McLamb, Shalom and Mamalarky, announced they would be pulling out of the festival. “I'm specifically withdrawing due to the fact that SXSW equips defense contractors, including subsidiaries of Raytheon as well as the US Army, a major sponsor of the festival,” wrote Squirrel Flower's Ella Williams. Instagram. He also expressed support for the Palestinian people.

About 60 artists in total pulled out of the festival, according to Austin Coalition for Palestine (APC), an organization supporting the boycott of the festival.

“Austin remains the Command Headquarters of the Future Army,” Abbott wrote in his X post. “San Antonio is America's military city. We are proud of the US Army in Texas. If you don't like it, don't come here.” He included a link to an article from The hill which highlighted some of the artists who have cut ties with the festival.

In response, South by Southwest organizers wrote that they “fully respect the decision these artists have made to exercise their right to free speech.” They also defended the Army's sponsoring role at the festival. “The defense industry has historically been a proving ground for many of the systems we rely on today,” they wrote. “These institutions are often leaders in emerging technologies, and we believe it is best to understand how their approach will affect our lives. Sponsoring the Army is part of our commitment to advancing ideas that shape our world. As for Collins Aerospace, they are sponsoring two SXSW Pitch categories this year, giving entrepreneurs visibility and funding for potentially game-changing work.”

They also acknowledged the Israel-Hamas conflict without taking sides. “We have and will continue to support human rights for all,” they wrote. “The situation in the Middle East is tragic and illuminates the heightened importance of standing together against injustice.”

APC was formed last fall to protest Southwest's associations with defense contractor RTX, also known as Raytheon, and its subsidiary, Collins Aerospace, and related BAE Systems. The organization claims that these companies have all manufactured weapons of war used in Israel's attacks on the Palestinian territories.

Representatives for APC, RTX, Collins Aerospace and BAE Systems did not respond The Rolling Stones requests for comment.

Last month, South by Southwest issued a cease and desist to APC for using its logo, according to The Austin Chronicle. “SXSW supports the constitutionally protected right of free speech and, as always, you are permitted to refer to the SXSW Marks factually or editorially,” he wrote. “However, as a trademark and copyright owner, we have an obligation to protect the goodwill and reputation associated with the SXSW marks and copyrighted art by preventing their unauthorized use… In the event that you do not comply with the request us, we reserve the right to take appropriate action to protect our trademarks and copyrights.”

Full disclosure: In 2021, The Rolling Stones The parent company, P-MRC, acquired a 50% stake in the SXSW festival.