Stand-up comedians Sophie Duker, Grace Campbell, and Alexandra Haddow have opted out of the Latitude Festival in objection to Barclays’ sponsorship of the event amid connections to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
They join the ranks of musicians like Irish singer-songwriter CMAT, who recently stated that she would no longer be partaking in the festival in Suffolk.
Duker posted a picture of herself at a previous Latitude Festival and a brief video explaining her decision to refrain from performing as long as Barclays remains the sponsor, despite her past positive experiences there.
She expressed her belief that the bank profits from the manufacture of weapons used in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“I am dedicated to reducing my involvement in what I perceive to be a series of abominable, illegal acts of violence,” added Duker.
She also mentioned that her pro-Palestinian standpoint “has subjected me to severe abuse, targeted harassment, and death threats.”
Palestine Action, a group whose members targeted 20 branches of the bank across England and Scotland this week, has accused Barclays of holding financial stakes in both Israel’s arms trade and fossil fuels.
Grace Campbell, another stand-up comedian and the daughter of Sir Tony Blair’s former spokesperson Alastair Campbell, reposted Duker’s announcement on Instagram, revealing her withdrawal from the festival scheduled from the 25th to the 29th of July.
Similarly, comedian Alexandra Haddow declared that she too will no longer be part of the event, stating on Instagram: “I cannot in good conscience accept the payment.”
She further mentioned that Barclays is listed on the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) official boycott catalog, which is a movement initiated by Palestinians advocating for boycotts, divestments, and economic sanctions against Israel.
While expressing hopes of performing at the festival in the future, she feels that boycotting this year’s edition “is one of the few active measures I can take.”
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In response to the departure of acts, Barclays has justified its stance, stating that it acknowledges “the significant human suffering” triggered by the conflict.
“We offer essential financial services to US, UK, and European public companies involved in supplying defense products to NATO and its partners,” they stated in a communique.
Boycotts Over Barclays Sponsorship at Music Festivals
Pic: Palestine Action/X
Barclays does not actively support these companies. The defense industry is vital for our country’s security, and the UK government has emphasized that backing defense firms aligns with ESG criteria.
Decisions regarding arms embargoes on other nations are the responsibility of respective elected governments.
CMAT recently shared on her Instagram account, stating, “I refuse to connect my cherished craft, my beloved music, with acts of violence.”
Several other musical groups, including Pillow Queens, Mui Zyu, and Georgia Ruth, have also withdrawn from the Latitude Festival.
Ruth stated that her decision was influenced by authors at the Hay Festival who boycotted the event in objection to Baillie Gifford. This led to the investment fund discontinuing its sponsorship of literary festivals after pressure from the Fossil Free Books campaign group.
The Great Escape Festival in Brighton and Hove faced criticism for its association with Barclays, resulting in over 100 acts withdrawing last month.
SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, saw artists decline to perform due to its connections with the US military and weapon manufacturers involved in the conflict.
Acts like Pest Control, Scowl, Speed, and Zulu have pulled out of Download Festival in Donington Park, Leicestershire over the festival’s sponsorship by Barclays.
Latitude Festival at Henham Park in Suffolk is expected to attract tens of thousands of attendees.
Headlining musical acts include Keane, Kasabian, Duran Duran, and London Grammar, while comedy acts feature Jo Brand, Sara Pascoe, Lucy Beaumont, Rosie Jones, and Judi Love.
