Australian activist group GetUp has called on the immigration minister to bar US musician Chris Brown from entering the country due to his conviction for assault.
GetUp launched an online petition requesting immigration minister Peter Dutton refuse the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter entry when his One Hell of A Nite tour visits Australia in December.
Brown, 26, was sentenced to five years’ probation, one year of domestic violence counselling, and 180 days of community labour for assaulting his then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009. Since then, he was implicated in an alleged assault during a basketball game in May, and narrowly escaped a prison sentence over another assault in Washington in 2014.
Allowing the tour to go ahead would send the implicit message that “if you brutally beat a woman, in a short amount of time you will be forgiven, or even celebrated,” the GetUp petition states.
“Chris Brown is an extremely influential figure, particularly among young people. Allowing his entry into Australia sends the message that the Turnbull government does not place significant weight and condemnation on men’s violence against women.”
The group speculates that Brown’s conviction of felony assault means he is in breach of the Australian visa character test for having “a substantial criminal record”.
But Brown has already performed to Australian audiences since his conviction, opening his 2011 concert tour F.A.M.E. with shows in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Brown’s record label in Australia and Australian immigration has been contacted for comment.
Brown has also announced a concert in New Zealand, where he performed two sold-out shows in 2008. New Zealand immigration told the New Zealand Herald while they have not yet received any application from Brown, he would be ineligible to be granted a visa in light of his having been barred from the United Kingdom in 2010, although exceptions to this rule are sometimes granted.
A poster promoting Brown’s concert bearing the sticker “I beat women” was spotted in Melbourne this week.
