Rachel Chinouriri latest artist to quit SXSW festival

Rachel Chinouriri says she is "100%" anti-war as she pulled out of her SXSW set

Rachel Chinouriri is the latest artist to announce she's withdrawing from South by Southwest (SXSW) in Texas.

Bands are boycotting the festival over its sponsorship deal with the US Army in protest against the military's support for Israel in the war in Gaza.

The singer-songwriter said her last-minute decision was because she had been "naïve" to the sponsorship and she was "horrified" when she found out.

Posting on X, SXSW said it respected the artists' decisions.

Dozens of acts, including Kneecap, Lambrini Girls, Sprints, Scowl, Gel, Okay Shalom and Squirrel Flower have opted to pull out of the festival, currently running in the city of Austin.

The governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, reacted to the boycott by saying: "Bye. Don't come back.

"We are proud of the US military in Texas," he wrote on X. "If you don't like it, don't come here."

However SXSW was quick to distance itself from his comments, saying it welcomes diverse viewpoints and "fully respects the decision these artists made to exercise their right to free speech".

'Triggering topic'

In a statement on social media, Rachel said she's "grown up seeing the permanent effects war has had on people" and is "100% anti-war".

She said her parents, who moved to the UK from Zimbabwe, were "child soldiers" and "because of this, war is an extremely triggering topic that I find emotionally difficult to speak about".

Israel launched a campaign in the Gaza Strip after Hamas - the group which runs the territory and which the UK government says is a terrorist organisation - attacked Israel on 7 October, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 253 others were taken hostage.

More than 30,000 people in Gaza have been killed since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

America is Israel's biggest military backer, providing billions of dollars in defence aid every year, and a number of weapons Israel is using in the conflict, including jets and bombs, are US-made.

Belfast trio Kneecap also pulled out of SXSW "in solidarity with the people of Palestine"

Rachel said she doesn't want "any association with war in any capacity" and hopes to eventually share her family's story when she's ready.

She said the sponsorship was "an enormous oversight by SXSW and hopefully a huge learning experience to be more considerate about this in the future".

SXSW defended its deal with the US Army, saying it was "part of our commitment to bring forward ideas that shape our world".

"The defence industry has historically been a proving ground for many of the systems we rely on today," it said.

"These institutions are often leaders in emerging technologies and we believe it's better to understand how their approach will impact our lives."

Like other artists who've cancelled sets, including Kneecap and Lambrini Girls, Rachel says she's facing an "immense financial loss" by not performing.

Despite that, "this has been an extremely easy decision to make", the London-based singer wrote.

SXSW is held across the city of Austin, Texas, every year

SXSW, which runs until 16 March, celebrates film, comedy and music and attracts more than 300,000 people each year.

The United Nations has warned of a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza including famine and the US is playing a role in providing aid.

It is sending a military ship with materials to build a temporary pier to get supplies into the strip and has also parachuted in thousands of meals.

SXSW said the conflict was "tragic" and that it "will continue to support human rights for all".

In a statement, the US Army told Newsbeat it was "proud to be a sponsor of SXSW, and to have the opportunity to showcase America's Army... explore new ideas and insights, and create dynamic industry partnerships".

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