basque Musicians boycott Spotify in Protest of Owner’s investment in Arms Company
Over 162 bands and artists from the Basque Country have removed their music from Spotify in a demonstration of solidarity with Palestine. The move, announced Tuesday at a press event in Iruñea (Nafarroa), is spearheaded by the movement Musicians with Palestine (Musikariak Palestinerekin).
The boycott stems from spotify owner Daniel Ek’s €700 million investment,revealed in June,in Helsing Defense,a company that develops military drones. The artists’ manifesto states this investment was “the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” though acknowledges the difficulty of achieving complete ethical purity with any multinational platform.
The signatories denounce the intensified occupation of palestinian territories by Israel over the past two years, characterizing it as ”genocide.” they emphasize their aim isn’t to claim moral high ground, but to diminish Spotify’s relevance to their work - to make “Spotify nothing for us.”
The movement is explicitly calling for a boycott of both Spotify and Israel, framing it as resistance against Zionism and support for Palestinian resistance.
Among the artists participating in the boycott are prominent figures such as Fermin Muguruza, Nakar, Borla, Broken Brothers Brass Band, Ines Osinaga, Rodeo, Joseba B. Lenoir, Joseba irazoki, Glaukoma, El Corazón de Sapo, and Kokeine.
