A British MP has written an open letter to Brighton and Hove City Council calling for the cancellation of Marilyn Manson's October 29 show in the city.
Siân Berry, the member of Parliament for Brighton Pavilion, made the call in the light of the sexual assault allegations made against Manson, aka Brian Warner, stating, “The level and nature of the accusations against Warner are concerning enough alone, but so too is the message sent out by providing a platform for this individual, at our city’s biggest publicly owned venue, and what this will mean to survivors.”
Manson's scheduled gig at the Brighton Centre on October 29 is due to be the first UK show on the singer's One Assassination Under God tour.
In her letter, Green Party MP Berry writes: “It is clear that this proposed performance has implications that risk breaching all these policies, and we believe you have strong grounds for reconsidering this decision.
“Many survivors in Brighton and Hove, and organisations supporting them, will have very serious concerns about this booking and its impact on other people visiting the city centre, local residents and the wider community.
“Freedom of expression is an important principle that should be defended, including in relation to artists, but there is an obvious risk to community cohesion and the council has separate equalities obligations to foster good relations between people who share protected characteristics and people who do not share them.
“The council has a responsibility to take action where there are risks of discrimination, harassment and victimisation.
“The level and nature of the accusations against Warner are concerning enough alone, but so too is the message sent out by providing a platform for this individual, at our city’s biggest publicly owned venue, and what this will mean to survivors.”
The letter has been co-signed by the Survivors’ Network, Reclaim The Night Brighton & Hove, The Queery Co-Op, and University of Sussex Students' Union, the Brighton Argus reports.
Last week, the leader of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council called for Mason's gig at the Bournemouth International Centre on October 31 to be cancelled.
Millie Earl said that pulling the show would "reinforce the message that violence against women and girls isn't something that's acceptable in our community."
Manson, 56, has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than a dozen women since 2021. He has denied all allegations of wrongdoing. In January, California prosecutors’ investigation into claims of domestic violence by four women ended. No criminal charges were pressed against the heavy metal singer, because his alleged actions exceeded the statute of limitations.
The allegations against Warner were the subject of a TV documentary, Unmasked, which aired in the UK on Channel 4 earlier this year.
