In the wake of the participants pulling out of the festival, Texas Governor Greg Abbott posted on Twitter/X, “Bye. Don’t come back.” He affirmed his support for the army, writing, “We are proud of the U.S. military in Texas. If you don’t like it, don’t come here.” The official SXSW account expressed its disagreement with Abbott and stated the festival “fully [respects] the decision these artists made to exercise their right to free speech.” However, the festival went on to defend the partnership. “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 organization wrote. “The Army’s sponsorship is part of our commitment to bring forward ideas that shape our world. In regard 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.”
In-person demonstrations took place outside of the festival in March, as reported by The Daily Dot. Eve 6 guitarist Jon Siebels, representing Artists Against Apartheid, encouraged more artists to drop out of the festival, condemning SXSW “and their billionaire owners for bringing these warmongers into our town.” The festival “used to be a place for new artists to come and showcase. This used to be a place where you might be able to see your favorite band in a small club or in a parking lot. Artists really made SXSW what it is,” Siebels said. “Something changed in the last couple years. Now, instead of being a haven for artists, we have the Department of Defense, CIA, Raytheon and its subsidiaries trying to run the show. These institutions are directly responsible for the settler state of Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people.”
Singer-songwriter Squirrel Flower was one of the first to pull out of the festival, posting to Instagram in March (in part), “A music festival should not include war profiteers. I refuse to be complicit in this and withdraw my art and labor in protest.” On Wednesday, she posted the news of SXSW’s divestment from the military with the message, “to those who said pulling out wouldn’t change anything :-)”.
