‘Artists will not stand for this’: musicians drop SXSW in support of Palestine

Acts such as Squirrel Flower and Mamalarky have chosen not to perform over festival’s ties to army and weaponry sponsors

Multiple artists have pulled out of their official showcases at this year’s South by Southwest festival (SXSW) in support of Palestine, citing the Austin, Texas event’s ties to defense contractor RTX Corporation, formerly known as Raytheon, and its sponsorship by the US army.

The boycott was led by Chicago-based songwriter Ella Williams, AKA Squirrel Flower, who published a statement on her Instagram on 4 March announcing her withdrawal from the official showcase she was set to play at the festival, which begins this weekend. “I am pulling out specifically because of the fact that SXSW is platforming defense contractors including [RTX] as well as the US army, a main sponsor of the festival,” she wrote.