Dozens of musicians and speakers have canceled their appearances at the South by Southwest Festival this week to protest that the U.S. Army is sponsoring the event.
The festival is being held in Austin through March 16.
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Several small bands and indie performers are boycotting the event since the United States military is supporting Israel in the Israel-Hamas war, according to CNN.
The Army is also one of the festival’s six “super sponsors.”
Some performers have shared information on social media explaining their decision.
Singer Ella Williams also known as “Squirrel Flower” was one of the first artists to pull out last week.
She said this was “in protest of SXSW’s ties to the defense industry and in support of the Palestinian people,” CNN wrote.
Musician Mei Simmones also wrote the following on Instagram, “we decided to pull out of our official showcases in light of everything going on with SXSW being sponsored by the US army, but we’ll still be playing lots of unofficial shows.”
Governor Greg Abbott responded on the social media platform X after several performers boycotted the festival.
“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,” Abbott said.
Bands pull out of SXSW over U.S. Army sponsorship.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) March 12, 2024
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.
https://t.co/t3RyQgLRKN
South by Southwest also shared a statement on social media. They said they do not agree with the governor.
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.
— SXSW (@sxsw) March 12, 2024