Dozens of artists and speakers pull out of SXSW festival in protest of military and defense industry sponsorships

Dozens of performers and speakers have canceled their appearances at the ongoing South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, in protest of event sponsorship from the US military and defense companies amid the war between Israel and Hamas.

The boycotting artists as of Tuesday were mainly small bands and indie performers, and have largely announced their decisions on social media.

The US Army is one of SXSW’s six ‘super sponsors,’ and at least three of the festival’s events have been sponsored by companies with ties to the defense industry.

The US has provided strong support and military aid to Israel following Hamas’ attacks, though divisions between the two countries’ leaders have appeared over mounting civilian casualties in Gaza.

Some boycotting artists canceled their official festival appearances but will still play other scheduled shows in Austin.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott responded to the protest in a social media post Tuesday, saying, ‘Bye. Don’t come back.’

SXSW organizers said they ‘fully respect the decision these artists made to exercise their right to free speech’ and defended their decision to accept the sponsors.

SXSW drew more than 340,000 attendees last year and hosts a lineup of conferences, panels, music showcases, film screenings, and exhibitions.

A rally over the issue is scheduled for Thursday evening outside an SXSW venue, hosted by local organizations.