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SXSW, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Spar About Bands Pulling Out in Protest of Military Sponsorship

Organizers of South by Southwest (SXSW) and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sparred on social media about artists who've pulled out of the festival in protest.

Organizers of the music festival South by Southwest, which takes place annually in Austin, sparred with Texas Governor Greg Abbott on social media Tuesday. “I am pulling out specifically because of the fact that SXSW is platforming defense contractors including Raytheon subsidiaries as well as the US Army, a main sponsor of the festival,” Squirrel Flower’s Ella Williams wrote on Instagram. In response, South by Southwest’s organizers wrote that they “fully respect the decision these artists made to exercise their right to free speech.” They also defended the Army’s sponsorship role in the festival.

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