SXSW “Does Not Agree” With Texas Governor Telling Boycotting Artists “Don’t Come Back”

After Texas Gov. Greg Abbott informed artists boycotting SXSW over its united state Military sponsorship, “don’t come back,” the Austin-based event is stating that it does not concur with that view. “We are an organization that welcomes diverse viewpoints,” the fest stated in an Instagram message Tuesday.

In the lead-up to SXSW, numerous music acts that were arranged for the carry out took out, mentioning the united state Military’s “super” sponsorship of fest, along with America’s recurring army assistance of Israel’s battle in Gaza. (Various Other “super” enrollers, which are given the highest degree of exposure at the fest, consist of Volkswagen, Porsche and Delta.) In all, 60 artists are stated to be missing the fest.

Abbott composed on X on Tuesday: “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.”

“SXSW does not agree with Governor Abbott,” checked out a declaration on the event’s Instagram in an article that consisted of a screenshot of Abbott’s X message.“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.”

The SXSW declaration took place to claim:“The Army’s sponsorship is a part of our commitment to bring forward ideas that help shape our world.”

The boycotting artists consist of the Irish rap team Kneecap, which lately went to the Sundance Movie Event starring in a movie concerning their lives that was later on grabbed by Sony Photo Standards. Various other boycotting entertainers consist of Lambrini Girls, Squirrel Blossom and Sprints.

“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,” Kneecap claims in an article on X.