Festival severs Army and defense contractor sponsorships after more than 80 artists withdrew from 2024 edition
By Adrian Horton, The Guardian
South by Southwest has discontinued its partnership with the US Army and the defense contractor RTX Corporation for its 2025 festival in response to concerns from numerous artists who withdrew from the 2024 event, the festival announced on Wednesday.
“After careful consideration, we are revising our sponsorship model,” the festival said in a statement on its website’s FAQ page. “As a result, the US army, and companies who engage in weapons manufacturing, will not be sponsors of SXSW 2025.”
The film, culture and tech festival, held each March in Austin, Texas, will also discontinue its partnership with Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of weapons manufacturer RTX Corporation, formerly known as Raytheon.
Over 80 artists withdrew from the 2024 festival in support of Palestine after Israel’s invasion of Gaza, citing SXSW’s ties to the weapons manufacturer and its sponsorship by the US army.
Recent Posts
DOJ Whistleblower Confirms “Antisemitism” Probes Against Universities Were Sham Investigations
Take Action NowBy Democracy Now! Haley Van Erem, a former career attorney in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, has filed a…
Union Members, Activists Defiant in the Face of Federal Surveillance
Take Action Now Labor leaders and union members said their solidarity with their immigrant members, and with each other, was indispensable as they…
No Coming Back From Genocide: Israel’s Global Counter-Offensive Has Begun
Take Action Now Israel knows that its so-called ‘PR problem’ is no longer that of a merely tainted image resulting from occasional negative news…
Union-Busters Are Using ICE to Intimidate California Wine Industry Workers
Take Action Now California’s wine industry runs on immigrant exploitation. Now migrant workers are unionizing.David Bacon, TruthOut In late July,…