AssetID: 53891576
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: Boycotts lead SXSW to drop US military sponsors for 2025 Festival
Caption: Boycotts Lead SXSW to Drop US Military Sponsors, for 2025 Festival. On June 26, South by Southwest (SXSW) announced that the United States Army would no longer be sponsoring the 2025 festival after boycotts by artists and panelists occurred in 2024. "After careful consideration, we are revising our sponsorship model. As a result, the U.S. Army, and companies who engage in weapons manufacturing, will not be sponsors of SXSW 2025." SXSW statement, via Fox News. Fox News reports that over 80 artists and panelists pulled out of the 2024 festival "in solidarity with Palestine," according to the Austin for Palestine coalition. The group called for a boycott of SXSW over the organization's ties to the U.S. military and weapons-manufacturing companies. In 2024, the U.S. Army, Defense Department, , Raytheon and L3Harris , all sponsored the SXSW festival. "We appreciated the opportunity to join South by Southwest in 2024. With U.S. Army Futures Command headquartered in Austin, we value any opportunity to join with our community to ignite discovery and make new connections.” "The Army will continue to seek opportunities to meet technology innovators and leaders, explore new ideas and insights, and create dynamic industry partnerships because tomorrow is worth protecting." Lt. Col. Jamie Dobson, U.S. Army Futures Command Spokesperson, via Fox News Digital. Bands and artists participating in the boycott, including Squirrel Flower, Scowl and Okay Shalom, explained why they protested the 2024 festival. "There are many ways SXSW is harmful to working musicians, but I am pulling out specifically because of the fact that SXSW is platforming defense contractors including Raytheon subsidiaries as well as the U.S. Army, a main sponsor of the festival." Ella Williams, via Instagram. "Genocide profiteers like Raytheon supply weapons to the IDF, paid for by our taxes. A music festival should not include war profiteers. I refuse to be complicit in this and withdrawl [sic] my art and labor in protest." Squirrel Flower, also known as Ella Williams, via Instagram. THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT
Keywords: Boycott,Lead,SXSW,Drop,US Military,Sponsors,2025 Festival,Music,United Stated Army,Panelists,Consideration,Statement,Palestine,Solidarity
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