Image: Chris Brown / Facebook

Petition Calls For Chris Brown To Be Denied Entry To Australia

A new petition is calling on US singer Chris Brown, who was on probation for assaulting his ex-girlfriend Rihanna until March this year, to be denied entry to Australia for his upcoming national tour.

The petition, launched by the not-for-profit group GetUp!, is addressed to Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, and asks him to refuse Brown a visa to visit Australia. GetUp!’s petition says the group “believe he is in breach of the Australian visa character test, for having ‘a substantial criminal record'”.

In 2009, Brown was charged with felony assault and making criminal threats against Rihanna. He was handed a restraining order and five years of probation, which formally ended on 20th March this year, closing the felony case.

Posting on Twitter, GetUp! says, “Allowing Chris Brown to tour sends a bad message to young people, to survivors of violence, and to the men who perpetrate this violence.”

In 2010, Brown’s application for a visa to enter the UK for a tour was denied because of his criminal record. Brown postponed that tour.

Earlier this month, New Zealand Immigration spokesman Marc Piercey said that because Brown was rejected from entering the UK, he might be denied entry to New Zealand.

Since those comments, Brown has laughed off further allegations of assault put forward by a woman who was involved in a music video shoot, during which she was allegedly forcibly removed from a bus.

Aside from Brown, no one else is laughing, especially not the champions responsible for fixing his Australian tour posters:

Shout out to the legend fixing these posters in Melbourne. Posted by CraveOnline Australia on Tuesday, 22 September 2015
Image in post via FasterLouder Chris Brown is set to perform in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane this December as part of his One Hell Of A Nite Tour. That is, if his visa application is approved. Brown is yet to publicly comment on GetUp!'s petition, which can be read in full below, but promoters have said they don’t anticipate any problems getting him a visa to enter Australia. To sign GetUp!'s petition, visit the GetUp! website. UPDATE 24/09/15: The Australian government has signalled they are considering denying Brown a visa, with Minster for Women Michaelia Cash stating that while she won't preempt the Immigration Minister's decision, she feels, “People need to understand that if you are going to commit domestic violent and then you want to travel around the world there are going to be countries that say to you 'you cannot come in because you are not of the character we expect in Australia’.” UPDATE 27/09/15: Chris Brown's visa application to tour Australia has been formally denied on character grounds. He now has 28 days to appeal or to withdraw his application. UPDATE 01/10/15: GetUp! has pulled the original petition and apologised for its "racist aspects." In its place they wrote, “GetUp takes responsibility and apologises unreservedly for the problems of this campaign.” UPDATE 02/12/15: Just a week before it was scheduled to kick off, Chris Brown's Australian and New Zealand tour has been officially cancelled. GetUp! Petition To Deny Chris Brown A Visa To the Immigration Minister of Australia, We urge you to refuse Chris Brown a visa to visit Australia. Due to his conviction of felony assault (a criminal charge), we believe he is in breach of the Australian visa character test, for having "a substantial criminal record" New Zealand have already indicated they are unlikely to allow Chris Brown into the country, following the lead of the UK. We ask that Australia follow suit. 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. https://twitter.com/GetUp/status/646514123052703744

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