The organizers of the annual South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, sparred with Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott on social media Tuesday after bands pulled out of the event in protest of the U.S. Army sponsoring it.
Taking to X earlier this week, Abbott made his stance known by telling bands that had withdrawn from the music festival, "Bye. Don't come back."
It was not long before the festival responded on X, stating that it did "not agree with Governor Abbott."
According to the Austin for Palestine Coalition (APC), an organization that supports boycotting the festival, 60 artists in total have pulled out of the event. Among them are Kneecap, Scowl, Squirrel Flower, Eliza McLamb, Shalom, and Mamalarky.
"I have decided to pull out of my official SXSW showcases in protest of SXSW's ties to the defense industry and in support of the Palestinian people," Squirrel Flower's Ella Williams wrote on Instagram.
"Austin remains the HQ for the Army Futures Command," Abbott wrote in his X post. "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."
The post was accompanied by a link to an article from The Hill highlighting the artists who have opted to pull out of the festival.
Responding to his remarks, South by Southwest's organizers wrote on X that they "fully respect the decision these artists made to exercise their right to free speech" while also defending the Army's decision to sponsor the festival.
"The defense industry has historically been a proving ground for many of the systems we rely on today," they wrote.
"These institutions are often leaders in emerging technologies, and we believe it's better to understand how their approach will impact our lives," the statement continued. "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."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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