Artists pull out of SXSW over Army, RTX involvement

Dozens of bands and solo musicians boycotted Austin, Texas’ South by Southwest (SXSW) festival this week in protest against the Department of Defense’s support of Israel’s war in Gaza. Among SXSW’s sponsors this year are the U.S. Army and Arlington County-based aerospace and defense contractor RTX, which makes weapons and other equipment used by Israel’s military.

According to The Hill, as of Wednesday, 105 music acts and five music labels have dropped out of the nine-day festival, which concludes Saturday. In February, the Austin For Palestine Coalition called for music artists and participants in speakers’ panels to boycott SXSW due to the festival’s financial backing by the U.S. Army, RTX and its subsidiaries, and other defense contractors. Also mentioned by the coalition was Falls Church-based BAE Systems Inc., which was scheduled as an exhibitor at a startup event connected to SXSW, although a BAE spokesperson sent a statement to The Hill that it did not plan to participate in the festival.

Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Lindsey Elder said in a statement to Virginia Business on Thursday that the military branch is “proud to be a sponsor of SXSW, and to have the opportunity to showcase America’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 modernize for the future. By engaging with innovators and entrepreneurs, we are able to invest strategically in state-of-the-art systems, allowing us to evolve and adapt to new threats and challenges.”

Previously known as Raytheon Technologies, RTX has three business units: Aerospace and defense technology supplier Collins Aerospace, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina; aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney, headquartered in East Hartford, Connecticut; and Arlington-based subsidiary Raytheon, which includes intelligence, space, missiles and defense business segments.

The Austin for Palestine Coalition issued an open letter Feb. 21 demanding that SXSW organizers “disinvite Raytheon (RTX), its subsidiary Collins Aerospace, and BAE Systems to the conference and festivals in the city of Austin. Raytheon, Collins Aerospace and BAE Systems have direct ties to the arming of Israel, supporting their violent oppression of the Palestinian people. Raytheon manufactures missiles, bombs and other weapon systems for the Israeli military to use against Palestinians.”

SXSW organizers said in posts on X this week that “we fully respect the decision these artists made to exercise their right to free speech,” while adding, “The Army’s sponsorship is part of our commitment to bring forward ideas that shape our world. In regard to Collins Aerospace, they participated this year as a sponsor of two SXSW Pitch categories, giving entrepreneurs visibility and funding for potentially game-changing work.”

RTX and BAE Systems did not respond immediately to requests for comment Thursday from Virginia Business.

As of late February, Israel’s war in Gaza has claimed more than 30,000 Palestinian lives, including numerous civilians, and more than 70,000 people have been wounded in the territory, according to health officials in the Gaza Strip. The war in Gaza followed Hamas’ attack on Israeli civilians near Gaza’s border on Oct. 7, 2023, which claimed about 1,200 lives, as well as the kidnapping of about 200 people, according to Israel authorities.

Also, the United Nations and worldwide aid organizations have characterized the situation in Gaza as a humanitarian catastrophe, as Israeli troops have frequently not allowed food and other aid to reach people in the territory. Last month, top U.N. officials said that at least a quarter of Gaza’s population, or 576,000 people, are “one step away from famine” without more aid, according to the Associated Press.

President Joe Biden and other U.S. politicians have received heavy criticism for their support of Israel’s military as the death toll grows in Gaza, and the federal government has increased financial and military aid to Israel in a budget passed by the U.S. Senate and now under consideration in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In Biden’s State of the Union speech, he called for a ceasefire in Gaza and authorized the construction of a temporary port to allow delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza residents, while still funding weapons for Israel. Also, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, a leading U.S. Democratic ally of Israel, said in a speech Thursday that Israel needs to hold a new election and that the Middle East nation risks becoming a “pariah” under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has authorized Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.