Bands pull out of SXSW festival over Gaza conflict

Northern Irish band Kneecap have pulled out of South by Southwest (SXSW) in Texas over the arts festival's sponsorship with the US Army.

The group, from Belfast, is the latest to cancel their sets at the event in protest against the military's support for Israel in the war in Gaza.

Other artists who've announced they won't be performing include Lambrini Girls, Scowl and Sprints.

BBC Newsbeat has contacted organisers of the festival for comment.

The festival, which runs until 16 March in the city of Austin, celebrates film, comedy and music and attracts more than 300,000 people each year.

In a statement shared on social media, Kneecap said they cancelled their three sets at the festival "in solidarity with the people of Palestine".

The trio said they did it to highlight the "unacceptable" links between the military and SXSW - which lists the US Army as a "super sponsor" on its website.

They said they "cannot in good conscience" attend the event, even though pulling out would have "a significant financial impact" on the band,

But they said it wasn't comparable to the "unimaginable suffering" in Gaza.

Israel launched a campaign in the Gaza Strip after Hamas - the group which runs the territory and which the UK government says is a terrorist organisation - attacked Israel on 7 October, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 253 others were taken hostage.

More than 30,000 people in Gaza have been killed since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

America is Israel's biggest military backer, providing billions of dollars in defence aid every year, and a number of weapons Israel is using in the conflict, including jets and bombs, are US-made.

Brighton-based duo Lambrini Girls announced on Saturday they'd also be boycotting SXSW.

They said their last-minute decision was due to them looking for a way to keep their "moral integrity intact and not have to repay thousands of pounds at the same time".

"That really just isn't possible. Money has to be repaid and we can't affiliate ourselves whatsoever with SXSW," they wrote.

Both acts say they considered other options to show their support for Gaza, including protests on stage or performing at unofficial events, but decided against it.

Other acts to pull out include Sprints, Scowl, Gel, Okay Shalom and Squirrel Flower.

In a post on Instagram, New York-based singer-songwriter Okay Shalom said the decision "cost a dream" but that it was "the right thing to do".

Indie rocker Squirrel Flower said she was withdrawing her "art and labour in protest" but would still be playing unofficial showcases.

The US military is also playing a role in humanitarian efforts in Gaza, where the United Nations has warned famine is "almost inevitable" and that children are starving to death.

America sent a military ship carrying materials for a pier to get food and supplies into Gaza on Saturday, and the US has also parachuted in more than 11,000 meals.

In a statement, the US Army told Newsbeat it was "proud to be a sponsor of SXSW, and to have the opportunity to showcase America's Army... explore new ideas and insights, and create dynamic industry partnerships."

SXSW has not responded to a request for comment from BBC Newsbeat.

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