South by Southwest (SXSW) has chosen to cancel two video game-related sessions for the SXSW Interactive 2016 festival after it received numerous violent threats over their content.

One session, titled “SavePoint: A Discussion on the Gaming Community,” was meant to be a panel discussion about “the journalistic integrity of gaming’s journalists” and was made up of supporters of the controversial GamerGate movement. The other session, which was called “Level Up: Overcoming Harassment in Games,” was going to be a panel on ways to fight online harassment in gaming and geek culture.

In a statement, SXSW Interactive Director Hugh Forrest explained the reasoning behind the cancellation of the two sessions (via GamesIndustry.biz):

We had hoped that hosting these two discussions in March 2016 in Austin would lead to a valuable exchange of ideas on this very important topic.

However, in the seven days since announcing these two sessions, SXSW has received numerous threats of on-site violence related to this programming. SXSW prides itself on being a big tent and a marketplace of diverse people and diverse ideas.

However, preserving the sanctity of the big tent at SXSW Interactive necessitates that we keep the dialogue civil and respectful. If people can not agree, disagree and embrace new ways of thinking in a safe and secure place that is free of online and offline harassment, then this marketplace of ideas is inevitably compromised.

Over the years, we are proud of the healthy community of digital innovators that has formed around SXSW. On occasions such as this one, this community necessitates strong management to survive. Maintaining civil and respectful dialogue within the big tent is more important than any particular session.

SXSW Interactive is an annual technology convention held in Austin, Texas. The event is part festival, part trade expo, and it has featured numerous sessions on gaming related subjects in the past. Unlike most other sessions at SXSW Interactive, a large number of the gaming sessions are free to attend.

Photo by Eric David | SiliconANGLE