SXSW 2024

Depois que músicos decidiram boicotar o festival South by Southwest 2024 porque o exército norte-americano e fornecedores de armas e equipamento militar estão entre os patrocinadores do evento (leia aqui), o republicano Greg Abbott, governador do Texas, escreveu em sua conta no X (antigo Twitter) que as bandas "não voltassem mais" ao local: “Bye. Don’t come back. Austin remains the HQ for the Army Futures Command. San Antonio is Military City USA. We are proud of the U.S. military in Texas. If you don’t like it, don’t come here.”

Em suas contas nas mídias sociais, o SXSW respondeu  ao republicano, destacando que a organização do evento "não concorda" com o governador Abbott. “We are an organization that welcomes diverse viewpoints. Music is the soul of SXSW, and it has long been our legacy. We fully respect the decision these artists made to exercise their right to free speech”.

Apesar da discordância em relação ao tratamento dado aos músicos, a organização manteve e justificou o patrocínio de fornecedores de armas e do exército norte-americano: "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" (confira o post do SXSW no Instagram, aqui).

As bandas musicais deixaram o festival devido a inclusão do exército norte-americano como um dos maiores patrocinadores da edição de 2024 do SXSW e de fornecedores de armas e equipamento militar, como a Collins Aerospace, subsidiária da RTX, antiga Raytheon, e a BAE Systems também estarem apoiando o evento. A decisão dos artistas tem por base o apoio ao povo palestino (leia aqui).

Os organizadores do grupo Coalizão Austin Pela Palestina pediram que o SXSW reavaliasse a inclusão destas empresas. "Se o SXSW deseja manter a sua credibilidade deve mudar de rumo, rejeitando a normalização da militarização nas indústrias de tecnologia e entretenimento".

Espie abaixo a resposta do SXSW, na íntegra:

"SXSW does not agree with Governor Abbott.

We are an organization that welcomes diverse viewpoints. Music is the soul of SXSW, and it has long been our legacy. We fully respect the decision these artists made to exercise their right to free speech.

Across the globe, we are witnessing unspeakable tragedies, the rise of repressive regimes, and the increasing spread of violent conflict. It’s more crucial than ever that we come together to solve these greater humanitarian issues.

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.

We have and will continue to support human rights for all. The situation in the Middle East is tragic, and it illuminates the heightened importance of standing together against injustice."

Leia a matéria anterior sobre o assunto, aqui.

A cobertura do SXSW 2024 pelo Clubeonline é um oferecimento exclusivo da Corazon Filmes (@corazonfilmes).