Texas Governor Greg Abbott hit out at musicians on Tuesday who are pulling out of the South by Southwest festival (SXSW) over the U.S. Army's sponsorship of the event, telling them "Don't come back" to the state.
The internationally recognized event brings thousands of visitors to Austin each March, showcasing music, film and interactive media. This year's festival is running from March 8-16 and includes live panels and special events. However, it comes amid heightened tensions in the U.S. and around the world due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
The U.S. is currently the foremost supplier of weapons to Israel, and several of those systems are being deployed in the conflict. The U.S. Army is also spearheading the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
On Tuesday, musicians including Kneecap, Lambrini Girls, Scowl, Gel, Okay Shalom, Squirrel Flower and Sprints began pulling out of SXSW in protest at the Army sponsorship. They were set to perform from March 11-16.
In a statement on X, Kneecap said, "We cannot in good conscience attend an arts festival that has the U.S. Army as a 'super sponsor,'" and cited the supply of arms to Israel.
The group added that backing out would have "a significant financial impact" on the group, "But it isn't an iota of hardship when compared to the unimaginable suffering being inflicted every minute, every day on the people of Gaza."
Abbott criticised the musicians on X, formerly Twitter, adding that Texas is proud of the U.S. military.
"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," he wrote.
Newsweek has reached out to Abbott's office and the U.S. Army via email for comment.
However, in an email, SXSW directed Newsweek to a series of posts on X in which they said they do not agree with Abbott's comments.
"SXSW does not agree with Governor Abbott. 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. Across the globe, we are witnessing unspeakable tragedies, the rise of repressive regimes, and the increasing spread of violent conflict. It's more crucial than ever that we come together to solve these greater humanitarian issues," SXSW said.
"The Army's sponsorship is part of our commitment to bring forward ideas that shape our world. We have and will continue to support human rights for all. The situation in the Middle East is tragic, and it illuminates the heightened importance of standing together against injustice," SXSW added.
It comes after celebrities attending the 2024 Academy Awards on Sunday wore pins in support of a ceasefire in Gaza.
On October 7, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people. Israel subsequently launched its heaviest-ever airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. More than 30,800 Palestinians have been killed in the territory, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, The Associated Press said. The rising death toll has led to international calls for a pause in the fighting to allow humanitarian aid to enter the Strip.
Following Hamas' attack, President Joe Biden, who later stressed the need for humanitarian aid to Gaza, announced that the U.S. would stand with Israel during the conflict and pledged to send the country a trove of military equipment and weapons.
The U.S. Army will also construct a seaport on Gaza's Mediterranean coastline to help deliver humanitarian aid, as announced by Biden during his State of the Union address last week.
"This war has taken a greater toll on innocent civilians than all previous wars in Gaza combined," the president said during the address. He called on Israel to "do its part" to facilitate aid in the region.
Meanwhile, in a statement to BBC, the U.S. Army said it was "proud to be a sponsor of SXSW, and to have the opportunity to showcase America's Army ... explore new ideas and insights, and create dynamic industry partnerships."
Despite the two-year pause in the festival due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event's impact on the Austin economy in 2022 totaled $280.7 million, according to SXSW, as it typically attracts over 300,000 people each year.
Update 03/12/24 4:54 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from SXSW.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Natalie Venegas is a Weekend Reporter at Newsweek based in New York. Her focus is reporting on education, social justice ... Read more
