Almost 100 Artists and Speakers Drop Out of Texas’ Celebrated Annual SXSW Festival in Solidarity with Palestinians
More than 80 artists and panelists have pulled out of the South by Southwest Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas, to protest its sponsorship by the U.S. Army and defense companies offering military support to Israel in its brutal siege of Gaza.
The boycott has garnered widespread support from advocacy groups and fellow artists, who argue that a music festival should not be associated with entities profiting from warfare. They emphasize the humanitarian crisis in Gaza which has left the region on the brink of famine and has led to Israel being accused of genocide at the Hague’s International Court of Justice.
America has extended significant support and military assistance to Israel since Hamas’ horrific attack on October 7. Following Israel's declaration of war on Hamas, the indiscriminate counterattack has resulted in over 31,000 civilian deaths and left more than 72,000 injured in Gaza.
The event, known as the SXSW (South by Southwest) Festival, held annually in Austin, Texas, is described as a convergence of technology, film, music education and culture. Since its establishment in 1987, SXSW has served as a significant platform for emerging indie acts and filmmakers and last year featured more than 1,000 speakers, holding over 300 panels.
The festival, which is scheduled to conclude on March 16, provides a forum for professionals from various fields to connect, learn and advance their careers through a diverse range of programming across 24 tracks. Last year the event attracted over 345,000 visitors.
However, following the growing backlash against Israel and support for its boycott through the BDS movement, several artists scheduled to perform this year have chosen to withdraw as a gesture of solidarity with the people in Gaza.
Ibrahim Batshon, a Palestinian American and the founder of BeatStars took to social media to declare that artists associated with his organization would also be boycotting the festival.
Batshon cited the involvement of Raytheon and BAE Systems, two companies participating in this year's SXSW festival, as the primary reasons for the boycott.
“Both of these companies manufacture and provide weapons to the terrorist state of Israel, whom is currently conducting an internationally condemned genocide against an occupied and besieged population of Palestinians,” said Batshon.
The decision to boycott SXSW has been met by defiance from the State’s Republican Governor, Greg Abbott, who said, "We are proud of the US military in Texas. If you don't like it, don't come here."
However, his response was not endorsed by the organizers of the festival who released a statement saying, “We are an organization that welcomes diverse viewpoints.”
SXSW also sought to rationalize its connections with the defense industry, saying, “The defense industry has historically been a proving ground for many of the systems we rely on today,” the festival wrote in its statement.
“These institutions are often leaders in emerging technologies, and we believe it’s better to understand how their approach will impact our lives.” 
Austin for Palestine Coalition helped organize the protest. Austin For Palestine represents a coalition of advocacy groups and organizations based in the state capitol, that all advocate for a lasting ceasefire and respect for the dignity of all Palestinians.
Austin for Palestine Coalition began organizing on October 23, last year and was formally established the following month. The Coalition rejects the characterization of the conflict as the "Israel-Hamas" war by mainstream English-language media, emphasizing that the majority of victims are Palestinian civilians and children.
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