Squirrel Flower, Eliza McLamb, Shalom, and Mamalarky have all dropped off of the 2024 edition of SXSW. In a statement, Squirrel Flower says the move is “in protest of SXSW’s ties to the defense industry and in support of the Palestinian people,” and that she will still play her unofficial showcases. She writes:
I have decided to pull out of my official SXSW showcases in protest of SXSW’s ties to the defense industry and in support of the Palestinian people.
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 US Army, a main sponsor of the festival.
The IDF has now killed at least 1 in every 75 inhabitants of Gaza, including 12,300 children. The International Court of Justice has ruled that this plausibly amounts to genocide.
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 withdraw my art and labor in protest.
I will still be playing unofficial showcases, and I encourage them all to take a vocal stand against SXSW. I encourage my fellow musicians to do the same.
Following her statement, Eliza McLamb, Shalom, and Mamalarky all released statements of their own cancelling their sets at official showcases. Read those below.
As Stereogum points out, the Austin for Palestine coalition is “protesting the inclusion of Raytheon (RTX), its subsidiary Collins Aerospace, and BAE Systems at the South By Southwest festivals and conference.”
Eliza McLamb’s statement:
I have pulled out of my official SXSW showcase after learning that the US Army is a major sponsor of the event. I will never put my name on or perform my labor for an event in service of the US war machine, and especially not now as they continue to fuel the ongoing violence against Palestinians. Blood money has no place in music.
I will still be playing the following unofficial showcases, which are not affiliated with SXSW:
3/14 – Paste Magazine showcase @ 11:10am
3/15 – Apogee’s “Future of Music” @ 4:30pm
3/16 – South By Spillover @ 9:25pm
TY @sqrrlflwr for bringing this to my attention. I encourage my fellow musicians to also pull out of official SXSW shows. Solidarity & hope for a free Palestine always 🖤
Shalom’s statement:
hi hi. i will stand on anti apartheid business until i d*e and that’s just the way it is. thank you @sqrrlflwr & @elizamclamb for holding fast to your morals and for inspiring me to do the same.
in solidarity with the pǎlestinån people, i will not be participating in my official @sxsw showcase. i will not dance for the war machine. you can find me at the @womenthatrock @austin_monthly @austingardenandstudio showcase on 3/13 and at the @pastemagazine showcase on 3/14. don’t let your conscience be embarrassed by your actions, or your inaction.
tour starts this weekend! see you out there 💛
Mamalarky’s statement:
Hi 🤍 we have decided to drop our 2 official SXSW shows.
As you might’ve heard, SXSW is sponsored by the US army, a direct supporter of the genocide of the Palestinian people-> see @sqrrlflwr @okayshalom posts ❣️ thank u for encouraging us + others to revoke our sets.
In remembering the 30,000+ Palestinians, many of whom having lost their lives to American weapons, in remembering active military member Aaron Bushnell who was moved to self immolate in protest of this ongoing genocide-this is a very easy decision to make.
We will still perform shows that u can attend outside of sxsw SANS WRISTBAND 💚 see next slide ~ might add more later … 🖤 love yall
https://www.instagram.com/p/C4HBY1ELva0/