THE US music industry showcase and festival which takes place annually place in Austin, Texas was hit by cancellations this year as bands and artists protested at the sponsorship of the event by the US Army and the festival’s partnership with private defence contractor RTX, which supplies weapons and logistics to the Israeli Defence Force.

The prestigious South By South West (SXSW) event took place from March 6-16. The event draws hundreds of thousands of music fans from across the globe to Austin for showcase gigs, premieres of new and upcoming bands, films, exhibitions and “meet and greet” events for music fans and the US music industry.

Over 30 bands and artists, including Buffalo Nichols, Subsonic Eye, Birthday Girl, Groa, Winona Forever, and Little Marzan, pulled out. Tetchy, Discovery Zone, Lady Apple Tree, Allegra Krieger, Jess Cornelius, Lip Critic, Godcaster, Lucia Beyond, Sarah Morrison, Tomato Flower, Gold Dime and Vera-Ellen also pulled out.

The entire SXSW’s Irish showcase was cancelled after several bands pulled out. Gurriers, NewDad, and Cardinals jointly announced: “To be clear, we, as ‘Music from Ireland’ bands, will not be partaking in any official SXSW shows. We stand in complete solidarity with Palestine and others who have spoken out against and boycotted SXSW. Sponsorship of the festival from the US Army, as well as defence contractors/those sending arms to destroy innocent lives, is an act we find disgusting and reprehensible.”

Dublin-based Irish punk band Sprints announced that they had pulled out of SXSW on March 13. “With an empty schedule in Austin, we decided to honour our commitment and performed at the KUTX Austin Food Bank Fundraiser this morning and will be playing one pop-up show in Lazarus Brewing at 7pm on Thursday. Neither event is affiliated with SXSW.”

English singer-songwriter Rachel Chinouriri who withdrew from SXSW said: “I wasn’t aware until yesterday that SXSW is being funded by the US Army as a ‘super sponsor.’ This has been an enormous oversight by SXSW and hopefully, a huge learning experience to be more considerate about this in the future.”

Many bands who played made statements from the stage and posted comments on social media, explaining their decisions and citing their outrage at the organiser’s decision to accept US Army sponsorship.

But Matt Ahearn, a US Army spokesperson said in a statement: “We’re proud to be a sponsor of SXSW and to have the opportunity to showcase the US’s army. SXSW presents a unique opportunity for the army to meet technology innovators and leaders, explore new ideas and insights, and create dynamic industry partnerships as we modernise for the future.”

The organisers of the protest the Austin For Palestine Coalition were involved in bitter exchanges with Texas Governor Gregg Abbott who tweeted: “We are proud of the US military in Texas. If you don’t like it, don’t come here.”

One band, Half Dream, said on Instagram: “Like many others, we are deeply torn and troubled by the inclusion of war profiteers and the abysmal pay. They do it because they can — as long as capitalism exists exploitation [comes] from every direction from those who would tout themselves progressive.”

Another band, Kneecap, said: “This decision will have a significant financial impact on Kneecap, both on lost income and on logistical costs already incurred, but it isn’t an iota of hardship when compared with the unimaginable suffering being inflicted every minute of every day on the people of Gaza.”