Los Campesinos! reject hugely lucrative Airbnb deal in solidarity with Palestine
Indie band Los Campesinos! have claimed they rejected a $60,000 offer from Airbnb as an act of solidarity with Palestine.
On social media, Los Campesinos! declared their reasoning for turning down the lucrative contract, stating that Airbnb operates on “stolen Palestinian land”. They also claimed that Airbnb has played a role in the global housing crisis, another reason they don’t want to be affiliated with the business.
Taking to X on July 15th, they wrote: “In April we declined an offer of $60,000 to license a song of ours to an Airbnb commercial. Airbnb continues to make money from stolen Palestinian land and contributes to the housing crisis worldwide. We do not wish to promote or profit from this. Free Palestine. Eat the Rich.”
In a separate post, the Welsh indie band explained why they decided to make the details of the offer public: “We’re sharing this because we have found similar acts of solidarity and protest by our peers to be inspiring. Every time an artist takes a principled stance, it makes it easier for the next artist to do the same.”
The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement has targeted Airbnb for many years due to the business allowing short-term rentals on contested land in the Middle East.
The BDS website states: “Airbnb allows listings in occupied Palestinian territory, and after announcing it will remove 200 of such listings, it reversed its decision, showing it is knowingly complicit in Israel’s occupation.”
In 2018, Airbnb clarified its stance by writing on its website in response: “Airbnb is not boycotting Israel. Airbnb does not support the BDS movement, any boycott of Israel, or any boycott of Israeli companies.”
Many bands have shown their support for Palestine in recent weeks. At the start of the month, Fontaines DC showed their support for the Palestinian people during their set at Roskilde Festival in Denmark by welcoming a pro-Palestine activist group to the stage to conduct chants in both English and Arabic as part of a powerful message to festivalgoers.
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