Another SXSW, another protest by musicians and activists. <\/p>\n
Demonstrators will gather downtown Friday to speak out against SXSW’s partnership with Capital Factory, a local tech incubator with ties to scores of defense contractors and consultants.<\/p>\n
Musicians protested<\/a> the festival in 2024 for hosting the U.S. Army and arms manufacturer RTX, formerly Raytheon. The pressure campaign succeeded, pushing the festival to cut ties<\/a> with the Army and defense technology-types at future festivals.<\/p>\n A coalition of activists led by the United Musicians and Allied Workers will hold a demonstration at 11 a.m. outside the J.W. Marriott targeting Capital Factory and Spotify, which the union says supported Israel’s war in Gaza.<\/p>\n “SXSW still refuses to fully cut ties with the U.S. military and the war industry, despite its promises to do so,” protest organizers said ahead of the event.<\/p>\n KUT reached out to SXSW for comment, but the festival has not yet made anyone available for comment.<\/p>\n Capital Factory is a hub for all sorts of tech investment, but its Center for Dual-Use Innovation has deep ties to the defense industry.<\/p>\n The center boasts<\/a> more than a half-billion dollars in investment for military contracts since it opened in 2019. Its partners include<\/a> arms manufacturer BAE Systems, surveillance juggernaut Palantir and others.<\/p>\n KUT reached out to Capital Factory, but has not heard back.<\/p>\n In 2024, the festival said it would reconsider its programming and that the “U.S. Army, and companies who engage in weapons manufacturing, will not be sponsors of SXSW 2025.” <\/p>\n That statement is no longer on SXSW’s website.<\/p>\n