Irish Musicians Do What The Dublin Government Were Too Cowardly To Do
Over the last number of days, multiple Irish bands and singers have pulled out of performing in the SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas due to the event being sponsored by the United States military, along with a number of weapons manufacturers including RTX (formally Raytheon), Collins Aerospace, and BAE Systems.
RTX manufactures missiles for the Israeli military, Collins Aerospace provides components for IOF aircraft, while BAE Systems supplies weapons used by the Apartheid state of Israel in their occupation of Palestine.
The US is the main supplier of weaponry to the Apartheid state of Israel, a pariah state currently engaged in a campaign of genocide against the men, women and children of Gaza - a campaign which has so far claimed the lives of well over 30,000 Palestinians, and injured hundreds of thousands more.
The stream of pull-outs from the festival was triggered last Sunday by the Belfast based hip-hop trio, Kneecap. The band, composed of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí released a statement declaring that they would not play the SXSW festival in “solidarity with the people of Palestine” and to “highlight the unacceptable deep links the festival has to weapons companies and the US military”.
That the organisers of SXSW have taken the decision to mix the arts with the military and weapons companies is unforgivable, that they have done so as we witness a genocide facilitated by the US military and its contractors is depraved. - Kneecap
Belfast hip-hop trio Kneecap.
In the days since Kneecap made that courageous decision, all twelve Irish bands listed as performing at the SXSW festival also pulled out.
These acts, including Soda Blonde, Sprints, Gavin James, Robert Grace, Mick Flannery, Chalk, Gurriers, Cardinals, NewDad, Enola Gay and Conchúr White, decided to emulate Kneecap by standing up to the US military-industrial complex and their support for the slaughter of Palestinians.
Other musicians, including TC Superstar, Eliza McLamb, Shalom, Mamalarky, Merce Lemon, Lambrini Girls, Proper, Gel, The Curls, and Squirrel Flower have also decided to boycott the festival, with the Texas Tribune reporting that so far well over eighty musicians and panellists have cancelled their involvement.
Defending the sponsorship of their events by the US military and multiple weapons manufacturers, the organisers of the SXSW festival gave this response:
The defense industry has historically been a proving ground for many of the systems we rely on today. These institutions are often leaders in emerging technologies, and we believe it’s better to understand how their approach will impact our lives.
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.
But where these Irish musicians have shown courage, the Dublin government have shown cowardice. Catherine Martin, the Green Party Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media took part in the festival yesterday - despite calls for her to emulate the actions of her fellow country men and women.
Martin took part in a panel discussion at the event discussing the Basic Income for the Arts pilot scheme she introduced in the Twenty-Six Counties two years ago.
Catherine Martin, the Green Party Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.
In response to criticism for Martin’s participation, and typical of those too cowardly to stand up for what is right, the Dublin government released this mealy-mouthed statement:
“The Minister spoke this morning to many of the musicians who have withdrawn from the SXSW Festival. She outlined that she has the utmost respect for their freedom of expression as artists and reassured them that she will use every opportunity available to her to make clear her revulsion at the devastation that has been unleashed on Gaza.
This includes the St Patrick’s Day consular reception in Austin tonight where she will outline to attendees the Irish Government’s calls for an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages and a massive and sustained increase in humanitarian aid, food and medicine to the people of Gaza.”
Éirígí For A New Republic salutes those courageous Irish musicians boycotting the SXSW and standing up for the people of Palestine. Boycotting has always been a powerful tool in the fight against imperialism in Ireland and we are well aware of how it can be used to combat imperialism all over the world.
The people of Ireland will always stand with the people of Palestine, now more than ever, as they suffer the genocidal campaign of the Apartheid state of Israel - all sanctioned and supported by the USA, the EU and Britain.
For our part, we in Éirígí will continue to stand with the Palestinian people as we have done for the last eighteen years. As internationalists we recognise that their struggle against US-backed Israeli aggression is at one with our own struggle against British aggression in this country.
Read - Did You Know That The Term ‘Boycott’ Originated In Ireland?