Activist interrupts Boiler Room's NYC event amid growing protests
The event at Under the K Bridge, Brooklyn, had been subjected to protest calls by NYC-based collective Boycott Room.
An activist interrupted a set at a Boiler Room event in New York this weekend, to protest the investments of KKR — the parent company of the platform's owner Superstruct Entertainment.
In a video posted on Instagram by Boycott Room, the activist can be seen climbing onto a platform during Juicy Romance's set at the Boiler Room Weekender on Friday (July 11) at Under the K Bridge in Brooklyn, New York.
The unnamed protester can be seen donning a T-shirt with the slogan "this party kills", while holding a home-made flag that reads: "Boiler Room and KKR fund genocide. Boycott now!". It's unclear if the activist is connected with Boycott Room.
Read this next: DJ Clent and DJ Slugo pull out of Boiler Room Detroit in boycott of KKR ownership
Ahead of the event on Friday, Boycott Room had called on its followers to join its "speak out and picket" at the entrance to the event from 6:30PM.
The Boiler Room Weekender saw sets from Tinashe and friends, Boys Noize, TOCCORORO, Ma Sha and Theo Parrish presents "Catch a Step".
A post shared by Boycott Room (@boycottroom)
Boycott Room describes itself as a "collective of NYC-based artists, DJs and culture workers" who are calling for "an international boycott of Boiler Room and its parent companies, KKR and Superstruct Entertainment."
The streaming platform and events company, alongside a number of other Superstruct-owned events, has been the subject of numerous boycott calls since it was acquired by the European events giant in January.
Activists have pointed to the controversial portfolio of Superstruct's parent company, KKR - the world's second largest investment company - including stakes in weapons manufacturers, Canada's Coastal Gaslink Pipeline and Israeli businesses that operate within occupied Palestinian territory.
This month, Chicago's DJ Clent and DJ Slugo withdrew participation from a Boiler Room event in Detroit, which had been set to go ahead on July 26 at an unannounced location.
Read this next: Dialled In release statement in response to Boiler Room's acquisition by Superstruct/KKR
DJ Slugo announced his decision via Instagram on July 4, writing: “After learning more about the ownership and funding behind Boiler Room - specifically its acquisition by KKR, a firm with direct investments in weapons manufacturers and financial ties to the state of Israel - I cannot in good conscience be part of this event.”
DJ Clent announced via Twitter on the same day that he would also be withdrawing from the event: “Upon gaining further knowledge regarding the ownership and funding of Boiler Room, particularly its acquisition by KKR, a firm with direct investments in weapons manufacturers and financial connections to the state of Israel, I am compelled to disassociate myself from this event,” he wrote.
Boiler Room issued a statement in March to address concerns over its ownership, insisting that its commitment to “editorial independence and Palestine has never wavered."
“We will always remain unapologetically pro-Palestine,” the statement added. “We continue to adhere to BDS and PACBI guidelines regarding artist programming and brand partnerships and engage with Palestinian artists and organisers in order to formalise our internal policies in line with this commitment. We uphold international law and human rights for all, regardless of identity.”
Mixmag has reached out to representatives for Boiler Room and Boycott Room for comment.
Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter
