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The Great Escape festival no longer sponsored by Barclays, after criticism of Israel links

Website for festival no longer names Barclays as a partner, following activist campaign against its sponsorship earlier this year

The Great Escape festival, which showcases hundreds of up and coming musicians each year in Brighton, no longer has Barclays as a sponsor, following criticism of the bank’s ties with Israeli companies. After hundreds of artists and music industry professionals took collective action in solidarity with Palestine this year, Barclays are no longer in any way affiliated with The Great Escape festival.” The bank said in a statement: “The protesters’ agenda is to have Barclays debank defence companies which is a sector we remain committed to as an essential part of keeping this country and our allies safe … The only thing that this small group of activists will achieve is to weaken essential support for cultural events enjoyed by millions.” The bank said it had supported the UK music and arts sector with £112m over the past 20 years.

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