“A great victory for humanity and peace”: British festivals suspend partnership with Barclays

The Peace & Justice Project started in April Art against the arms trade as part of the “Music For The Many” campaign to remove Barclays, a bank with numerous links to arms manufacturers, as a sponsor of British music festivals.

Last week, Download, Isle Of Wight, Latitude and Camp Bestival suspended their partnership with Barclays due to sustained pressure from our campaign, which has supported thousands of people writing to festival organisers using our lobbying tool, as well as the tireless work of other members of the Bands Boycott Barclays coalition.

Following the announcement, Jeremy Corbyn said:

“The decision by British festivals to cut their business relations with Barclays is a major victory for the campaign led by Palestinians and artists to keep war financiers out of our cultural scene.

Corbyn also called on all other festival organisers in the UK and around the world to cut their business relationships with Barclays so that they:

“Stand on the side of humanity and peace.”

Samuel Sweek, organiser of Art Against The Arms Trade, said:

“This is an absolutely tremendous victory for our movement and shows the incredible power we have when we stand together against the war profiteers.

This sends a strong message to other festival organizers around the world: If they do not stand on the side of humanity and sever our ties with the war machine, we will continue to organize in solidarity with the Palestinian people – and we will win.”

This victory is a significant moment in ending the culture laundering of UK music events by those who fund and profit from the bombing of Gaza and numerous conflicts around the world. Peace & Justice Project welcomes the suspension of the partnership between Barclays and Live Nation and will continue to demand that companies like Barclays are never again able to launder their reputations by exploiting cultural institutions such as music festivals.

FOR PRESS ENQUIRIES

Please contact Samuel Sweek, Press and Media Coordinator at the Peace & Justice Project, at [email protected].