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A Veterans Affairs group addressed the boycott by dozens of artists and bands who left the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, in protest of the U.S. Army’s sponsorship, claiming the groups supplied weapons to Israel to support “their violent oppression of the Palestinian people.”
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In February, the Austin for Palestine Coalition launched a campaign that called for a protest and boycott of SXSW because the U.S. Army was a “Super Sponsor” of the event. In response, 80 artists, bands and performers pulled their scheduled appearances as a show of support for Palestinians.
“We are heeding the call of Palestinian civil society to engage in Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions against Israeli occupation and those supplying arms to Israel for its genocide against the Palestinian people,” an Instagram post by the Austin for Palestine Coalition read. “SXSW must disinvite Raytheon (RTX), its subsidiary Collins Aerospace, and BAE Systems to the conference and festivals in the city of Austin.”
“Raytheon, Collins Aerospace, and BAE Systems have direct ties to the arming of Israel, supporting their violent oppression of the Palestinian people,” the post continued. “Raytheon manufactures missiles, bombs, and other weapon systems for the Israeli military to use against Palestinians.”
A sign in front of Speakeasy on Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas, on March 11, 2022, welcomes visitors back to SXSW for the first time in three years.(Jim Bennett/WireImage)
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On Tuesday, a few days after the conclusion of SXSW, National Commander Duane Sarmiento of the Veterans of Foreign Wars responded to the boycott, stating the organization “fully supports free speech,” but warned that the artists who pulled out of the festival “missed out on a great opportunity for needed exposure.”
“They seem to have forgotten it’s the good men and women of the U.S. Army who fought and died for their opportunity to perform in the U.S., or not,” he said. “Their decision will have lasting impacts on their careers, and if free speech enthusiasts like Horse Jumper of Love, Squirrel Flower, Lip Critic or any other artist who cancelled their appearance in Austin again get the opportunity to come to our great nation, we invite them to visit with some of our Army veterans to gain some insight into the positive world impacts they’re responsible for.”
Squirrel Flower, also known as Ella Williams, who was named by Commander Sarmiento, wrote on Instagram on March 4 explaining she was pulling out of the SXSW festival because it was “platforming defense contractors including Raytheon subsidiaries as well as the US Army, a main sponsor of the festival.”
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“Genocide profiteers like Raytheon supply weapons to the IDF, paid for by our taxes,” she wrote. “A music festival should not include war profiteers. I refuse to be complicit in this and withdrawl [sic] my art and labor in protest.”
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From left: Peter Hall, Alex Garland, Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny and Wagner Moura appear at the premiere of “Civil War” as part of SXSW 2024.(Chris Saucedo/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty Images)
Other artists posted public notices that they were pulling out for similar reasons.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told the bands and performers: “Bye. Don’t come back.”
“We are proud of the U.S. military in Texas. If you don’t like it, don’t come here,” he added.
SXSW rebuked his statement in a post on Instagram that it “does not agree” with the Texas governor, adding it “welcomes diverse viewpoints” including the decision of performers to withdraw from the event.
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“These institutions are often leaders in emerging technologies, and we believe it’s better to understand how their approach will impact our lives,” the statement said. “The Army’s sponsorship is part of our commitment to bring forward ideas that shape our world.”
A view of 6th Street during the 2023 SXSW Conference and Festivals in Austin, Texas, on March 10, 2023.(Hutton Supancic/Getty Images for SXSW)
“We have and will continue to support human rights for all,” the statement concluded. “The situation in the Middle East is tragic, and it illuminates the heightened importance of standing together against injustice.”
Fox News Digital reached out to SXSW for comment.
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Fox News’ Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.
Editor’s note: See World Cup standings and scenarios updated in real time
The Socceroos live on at the 2026 World Cup.
Australia and Paraguay played to a 0-0 draw on Thursday night, which was good enough for Australia to secure second place in Group D and advance to the knockout stage of the tournament. Paraguay is likely to advance as a high-ranking third place team, but nothing is confirmed at the moment.
SHOP: Australia round of 32 World Cup tickets
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Australia will head to Dallas where they will play their first elimination match on Friday, July 3 against the second-place team from Group G.
While we don’t yet know Australia’s opponent, we know the location, date and time of the match, which means tickets are already available. Here is everything you need to know in order to buy Australia World Cup tickets in Dallas.
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Australia round of 32 World Cup tickets
As of publication, the cheapest round of 32 ticket to see Australia in Dallas on Friday, July 3 is $937. Any ticket for less than $1,000 at this point in the tournament is a steal considering most other prices.
Australia Round of 32 opponent
As the runner-up of Group D, Australia will take on the second-place finisher from Group G. Australia’s opponent will be finalized on Friday, but given the current standings it could be any of the following four teams:
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Egypt
Iran
Belgium
New Zealand
Shop Australia Round of 32 tickets
Australia World Cup schedule
Australia vs. Turkey – WIN 2-0
Australia vs. United States – LOSS 2-0
Australia vs. Paraguay – DRAW 1-1
Friday, July 3 – Australia vs. Group G runner up at AT&T Stadium in Dallas (round of 32) – Shop tickets
More: We ranked the 2026 FIFA World Cup jerseys, here are our favorites
World Cup Group D Standings
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NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – A police pursuit that began in Broward County ended with a bailout, a tense neighborhood search and at least two detained in a Northwest Miami-Dade residential area.
Deputies with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and others with tactical gear that read “Sheriff Gang Task Force” descended on a home near Northwest 99th Street and Second Avenue on Thursday night.
According to MDSO, a suspect bailed out of a corvette that had been involved in a pursuit.
The subject, who deputies said does not live in the home, was taken into custody after officers surrounded the property.
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According to BSO, deputies were conducting a proactive investigation when the subject’s vehicle drove south into Miami-Dade. BSO’s avaition unit responded and a be on the lookout was issued. The vehicle was located in the Northwest Miami-Dade area.
As the subject was being led away in handcuffs, 7News asked him what he was running from and what he had done. The subject did not respond.
Just steps away from where he was detained, a Corvette sat in the middle of the roadway with its doors open. Deputies said they were pursuing that vehicle before it was parked and bailed from.
7News cameras captured deputies recovering a backpack from the scene as investigators continued searching the vehicle well into the night.
Soon after, a second person was placed in handcuffs and into an MDSO cruiser.
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No official arrests have been made as of late Thursday night, according to BSO.
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ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — A semi-truck collided with a train overnight on the city’s southwest side, sparking a fire in the wreckage.
No injuries have been reported as authorities have yet to locate the driver of the tractor-trailer. No occupants were found on the train either, according to Atlanta Fire Rescue.
Crews responded to reports of a vehicle fire just before 4 a.m. at the intersection of Lee and Spark streets in southwest Atlanta.
When first responders arrived, they encountered a tractor-trailer afire after being struck by a train. Firefighters worked to put out the flames in the cab, trailer as well as on debris strewn about the railroad and roadway, Atlanta Fire Rescue told Atlanta News First.
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Crews have not identified any hazardous materials in the wreckage.
An investigation is ongoing as no occupants were found in the tractor-trailer, train or surrounding area, authorities said.
Norfolk Southern and MARTA briefly halted operations in the area as police activity and cleanup continued.
The crash happened just below elevated MARTA rail tracks which run between the West End and Oakland City transit stations.
MARTA said that it had requested a bus bridge to transport riders between Oakland City and West End Stations “due to police activity” until further notice.
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The transit agency was also offering riders Uber and Lyft credits for rail travel involving the Lakewood, Oakland City, West End and Garnett stations.
This is a developing story. Please stay with Atlanta News First as we learn more.
