Tell SXSW to stop threatening international bands with deportation!
SXSW
South by Southwest, one of the most popular music festivals in the U.S., is colluding with immigration authorities and threatening international bands with deportation if they perform at unofficial shows during the festival.
This is an incredibly disturbing practice, especially in light of the Trump Administration's current attack on immigrants, who are already at great risk.
Sign the petition demanding that SXSW remove this clause from their contract and stop threatening bands with immigration investigations and deportation. Contact the bands you love who are playing at SXSW and ask them to speak out against this chilling policy.
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UPDATE 1: Read this open letter signed by dozens of prominent artists including Downtown Boys, Evan Greer, Priests, Zach De La Rocha, Immortal Technique, Kimya Dawson, Ted Leo, Killer Mike, PWR BTTM, Atmoshphere, Talib Kweli, Sheer Mag, and others.
UPDATE 2: SXSW has responded to the public outcry about this policy, which is a positive development, but their response falls short. They need to clearly state that they will remove the clause from their contract in years to come, and not enforce it for bands already scheduled this year. Read our statement on their response in Rolling Stone.
To:
SXSW
From:
[Your Name]
"Threatening bands with deportation at a time when immigrants are already under attack is wrong. Publicly commit to removing these clauses from your contract, and state clearly that you will not enforce this policy for bands already scheduled this year."