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LAST UPDATE | 13 Mar 2024
TEXAS GOVERNOR Greg Abbott has told the Irish acts who have pulled out of the South By Southwest (SXSW) festival in the state not to come back.
The SXSW festival in Texas has defended its sponsorship by the US army in the wake of music acts pulling out in protest.
All 10 acts from the island of Ireland have now pulled out of the arts festival in Austin, Texas due to the US army being a “super sponsor” of the event.
In total, more than 80 artists and multiple panellists have cancelled their involvement in the festival, according to the Texas Tribune.
The festival has responded, saying that it “fully respects the decision these artists made to exercise their right to free speech”.
It addressed a post by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who said of the bands: “Bye. Don’t come back… We are proud of the US military in Texas. If you don’t like it, don’t come here.”
The festival said it did not agree with the Republican Governor and that it is an organisation that welcomes diverse viewpoints.
“Across the globe, we are witnessing unspeakable tragedies, the rise of repressive regimes, and the increasing spread of violent conflict. It’s more crucial than ever that we come together to solve these greater humanitarian issues,” the festival wrote on social media.
“The defense industry has historically been a proving ground for many of the systems we rely on today. These institutions are often leaders in emerging technologies, and we believe it’s better to understand how their approach will impact our lives,” it said.
“The Army’s sponsorship is part of our commitment to bring forward ideas that shape our world. In regard to Collins Aerospace, they participated this year as a sponsor of two SXSW Pitch categories, giving entrepreneurs visibility and funding for potentially game-changing work.
“We have and will continue to support human rights for all. The situation in the Middle East is tragic, and it illuminates the heightened importance of standing together against injustice.”
We are an organization that welcomes diverse viewpoints. Music is the soul of SXSW, and it has long been our legacy. We fully respect the decision these artists made to exercise their right to free speech.
— SXSW (@sxsw) March 12, 2024
Minister for Arts and Culture Catherine Martin, who is in the US as part of ministerial trips abroad for St Patrick’s Day, is due to attend the festival.
She said yesterday that she respects artists’ decision to pull out but that she will still be in attendance to “promote Ireland’s creative industries”.
The DFA and a host of other Irish organisations make up the ‘Ireland House’ exhibit at the popular festival in Austin, Texas.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was asked about artists boycotting the event while he was in Washington D.C., responding that it is not the policy of the Irish government to boycott events.
Kneecap, one of the Irish acts that pulled out, said the decision was an effort to “highlight the unacceptable deep link the festival has to weapons companies and the US military, who at this very moment are enabling a genocide and famine against a trapped population”.
Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, one of the rap trio’s members, Mo Chara, said they made the decision to pull out of the event “because it’s good to be on the right side of history”.
Responding to Minister Martin’s decision to attend the festival, Mo Chara said: “We’re not here to speak on behalf of other people or say who should and shouldn’t go. We were only making the decision based on us.
“I know the Minister was saying she was going to support Irish acts, I think she’ll be standing at the Irish stage on her own seeing as there are no acts playing anymore, but if she’s using her platform to speak out against it then all the power to her.”
Mo Chara said Martin has not contacted Kneecap regarding their decision to pull out of the festival.
English singer Rachel Chinouriri is one of the latest acts to pull out, saying she was “horrified to see things such as ‘army inspired yoga’ and ‘army functional fitness’ as some activities you can take part in at SXSW”.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was asked about artists boycotting the event while he was in Washington D.C., responding that it is not the policy of the Irish government to boycott events.
With reporting by Hayley Halpin
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Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein fighting with each other to splutter the greatest populist outrage. The issue is very straightforward, about a quarter of pensioners have been failing to declare income for tax purposes. This came to light because under THIS government, for the first time, the Dept fo Social Protection has finally begun to talk to Revenue about pension/social welfare income. Under FF, no such co-ordination ever took place.
Those indentified as owing tax will be dealt with in the same professional way that Revenue tends to deal with these issues. No-one’s going to be left on the bread line because of this. It’s time FF and SF, rather than bang the populist drum, actually took some tome out to think of the vast majority of pensioners who did declare additional income and who were fully tax-complaint. Or do SF and FF think these pensioners should be treated as fools for payihg the correct level of tax?
Would love to know how many FF politicians get hit with this, since it is a legacy issue of theirs
In all honesty there argument is about how the situation has been handled bot that these people are going to be hit! SF has said the revenue commission and the government should of made people aware of the situation before dumping this new tax onto them and FF are asking how long has the government been aware of the situation without letting there pensioners know!
@Daryl … wouldn’t agree with that interpretation, I’m afraid. It’s a typical political tactic by FF & SF. When you haven’t got anything meaningful to say about the substantive issue, then complain about the modalities.
The problem is this government will spend thousands to collect the fiver that it believes that it is owed. What the right thing to do would be to issue a general amnesty, cut the losses and improve the system, move on.
Couldnt agree more, and i think its totally wrong the way this FG/Labour government have handld this … They could at least have gone on the airwaves and let folks know what a screw up they had made and warn folks that this is coming … and they should have drawn a line under their own mismaagement and told folks that it will be a forward taxation, ie no impact to those that were unervalued by the Government and Revenues prior to this. How fair is it, that we have folks in their 80′s and 90′s getting letters to say that they are not tax complaint and owe the government back tax… ??? Bloody sickening as far as i am concenerned bg FG and Labour. And these are the same two parties in opposition that would have screamed the house down over this same treatment of old age pensioners ……
Well said lads. This government is making me sick. They will spend countless hours collecting “cents” when if they want “euros” all they have to do is introduce a fairer method of taxation. But they won’t they’ll continue to spread “doom and gloom” and we’ll be called “begrudgers”. I couldn’t give a sh!t. Can’t shut us all up.
Agree. Well, mostly. Discomforted by patronising references to folk in their 80s and 90s. It is possible to be 90 and extremely well off and be non-tax compliant…
Or should that be tax non-compliant? Whatever…
Joe Sixtwo
You are spot on . Draw a line , get people tax compliant from today and MOVE ON….. God Almighty it is so tiring stating the obvious ….. It will cost nothing and bring in revenue immediately .
Cal Mooney
You are right
It is awful to think of very elderly / more vulnerable individuals getting these letters …. Heartless fools that sent them out.
Reada
We wont be shut up !!
Reada & Eileen!
Hell would freeze over first!
I may be wrong but,
Wasn’t Barry Cowen’s brother convicted as a tax defaulters?
Brilliant tactical move by government to move us on from talking about 40% hike in levy on health insurance.
Ahhh ! Conor , Glad to see that you are beginning to see the bigger picture !
Good to see that someone else can see thru them
Surprise surprise….
Why should pensioners with large private income not pay tax on their benefits from Social Protection. If you become unemployed, your unemployment benefit under PRSi is taxable so why not pensions. If you are on a 3 day week your benefit is taxable. WHY NOT HAVE ALL FILE A TAX RETURN EACH YEAR STATING TOTAL INCOME FROM WHATEVER SOURCE INCLUDING UNEMPLOYMENT , CHILDREN’S ALLOWANCE AND RENT ALLOWANCE OR WHATEVER, THEN EVERYONE WOULD BE TAX COMPLIANT. IT IS ABOUT TIME DSP SENT INFORMATION TO REVENUE. WELL DONE
Maura
Why you ask ….. Because people who have worked all of their lives AND saved and contributed to private pensions to have a comfortable retirement have already paid taxes, now if the revenue want to chase after cents then do so , but from today . The government are not fools . Look at the bigger picture and ask yourself why they want us all arguing over this . They are deflecting our attention from all the other stuff that is happening…
In the great tradition of FF turn one section of society on another hence everyones eye off the ball cudos to you FG/Lab didn’t take ye long to learn but hey ye have been learning from FF for 10+ years.
Got it in one, Desmond , well said !
Thanks Billy. To read some of the other posters here it seems that people not declaring their income for tax purposes is ALL the government’s fault. The old habits of not playing by the rules go deep, supported by the cynical populism of FF & SF. Those of us who do play by the rules are treated as mugs. No more, I’m afraid. It’s time we took our country back from the cute hoors.
That is not true Desmond. We’re just sick of the order that this shower in government take.
I love paying tax. I love the fact that it pays our teachers, nurses, Gardaí, unemployed, those on social welfare and anyone in need. What I don’t appreciate is paying it into a big black bank hole!
Let’s be very careful about the ageist types of comments and the need to protect elderly cuddly pensioner types……….after all Mr Fingleton is over seventy and Sean Quinn is somewhere in his mid sixties if I’m not mistaken!
Fingers will have no problem counting down his cosseted retirement years on his E11,000 watch bought by the uninformed taxpayer who funded it.
My widowed Mother is 84 and is tax compliant , but she is not fully compus mentus (excuse any misspelling) and as such she would be so worried and upset if she opened a letter like this, she would worry about it for ever . It is a disgraceful move by the revenue . They well know how to check up without causing unnecessary worry . Of course people should pay their dues but if they have not and they are genuinely ignorant of the ”crime” then draw a line and start from today… Not all non compliant pensioners are in the same financial brackets as S Quinn or mr Fingleton!!!
Well said Eileen. It’s just the type of despicable move I’ve come to expect. Disgraceful!
By the way Reada your tone is unusually offensive for a woman and how would you know that the current activity of the Revenue is seeking out “cents” when non payment of taxes on contributory State pensions where the recipient already exceeds the threshold would run into thousands in any one year.
Your further criticism of the Government implies that they direct the Revenue authorities on a day to day basis.
Would you like to reconsider your rant?
Mark. I get a bit annoyed at times but I don’t think that my being a female should deter me from expressing my anger. Do i detect a bit of sexism there. I tend to shoot from the hip when I see these scoundrels and the order in which they chose to reform the system.
And thanks for the invitation Mark but I’ll pass on the invitation to reconsider. I meant every word of it.
Reada you recently commented on the idea that most readers have no idea that your name is actually female and therefor much of your overexcited commentaries may well be viewed as male like! It is not inappropriate to consider many of your rants as aggressive.
Indeed I was much more concerned at your gross misunderstanding of the duties and responsibilities of officials within the Revenue Authorities and the rather silly idea that they work on the day to day direction, supervision and control of the Government.
The constant criticism from many quarters that public servants are less than diligent is belied by this particular issue where they have evidence of tax evasion or non payment and protect tax paying citizens and the State by doing their duty. How can you possibly find fault with that and then load your vulgar hostility on the Government of the day?
Still no room for a recant?
Mark Rodgers
Why are you being so defensive of such an outrageous decision by the revenue commissioners ? I am amazed at the lack of empathy of so many people on this thread for people who have worked all their lives AND contributed towards their own retirement plan… I just do not understand the attitudes displayed .
No recant necessary Mark. I mean what I say and I say what I mean. I’ve already responded to Desmond above. But ftr I am a very proud Irishwoman and I love my country very much.
I am one of those people who consider it a privilege to pay tax. As I said to Desmond. I love paying tax. I love the fact that it pays our teachers, nurses, Gardaí, unemployed, those on social welfare and anyone in need. What I don’t appreciate is paying it into a big black bank hole!
My government is letting us all down.
And mark if you have any further queries please use the reply button beneath my comment. I hate to see a question go unanswered.
But goodnight. I can be kind as well. I do try anyway. :-)
Now more than ever, the Revenue are behaving like extortionists. They have become the enforcement arm of the ECB/IMF mafia.
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