AUSTIN, Texas — Ella O’Connor Williams and several other musicians announced via Instagram they are pulling out of South by Southwest this year, protesting the music festival's connection to the United States defense industry.

“Genocide profiteers like Raytheon supply weapons to the IDF, paid for by our taxes. A music festival should not include war profiteers,” wrote Williams, an alternative/indie musician who goes by the stage name Squirrel Flower.

The U.S. Army is working closely with SXSW, sponsoring a variety of events, from “Unleash Your Beast: Army Functional Fitness” to “The Future of Power: A Creative Discussion on Possibilities.” Collins Aerospace, a company under RTX Corporation – formerly known as Raytheon – is also an official sponsor of the event, and will co-host “Boundary Breakers, the Next Leap in Government and Defense Innovation.” These U.S. defense actors have been met with opposition as these musical artists, and other Americans, claim they are perpetuating war in the Middle East.

Shortly after Williams' post, indie rock musician Eliza McLamb made a similar announcement, writing that she will still be playing at some unofficial showcases in Austin not affiliated with the music festival. 

“Blood money has no place in music,” she wrote. 

McLamb thanked Williams for kickstarting the boycott, and pushed others to follow suit.

 “I encourage my fellow musicians to also pull out of official SXSW shows,” McLamb wrote. “Solidarity & hope for a free Palestine always.”

Other artists, such as Shalom and Mamalarky, have since announced their refusal to participate in festival-affiliated events. 

In late February, Austin for Palestine Coalition launched a campaign against SXSW in support of Palestinian people

“By supporting these companies, SXSW is complicit in human rights abuses and violations of international law," it wrote.

In 2023, SXSW received significant criticism as thousands of Austinites petitioned for the fair pay of musicians.