UPDATE: SUCCESS! It appears that Mr Blanc leaving last night was in response to his visa being cancelled! He is planning to head to Japan and another petition has started to deny him entry you can find it on change.org - Thanks to everyone who signed this petition, everyone who signed Jennifer Li's petition to Como, who contacted Scott Morrison, and who protested the impromptu boat party venue in Melbourne. You've all stood up to protect women's rights, to deplore rape culture and to let Australia know that violence and psychological abuse are not acceptable tools for maintaining a relationship or coercing consent.

UPDATE: This afternoon (Friday 7th Nov) Police Confirmed Blanc has left the country, however he may yet return, he was issued a visa once before (which pressumably is still valid for re-entry under the original duration of the visa's validity) Let's keep this going to ensure he does not return.

#takedownjulienblanc

"That Julien Blanc can sustain a profitable business out of promoting sexual violence with total impunity is a testament to the extent to which our society accepts violence and sexual assault against women" he's been advertising events here in Melbourne and nationally, this requires him to be on a visa that allows him to work (by work I mean preach violence and emotional abuse against women) don't be one of the people who passively accepts this, sign this petition to call on the Federal Government in Australia to revoke his rights to 'work' in this country and send him packing.

"Here in Australia, one woman is killed by her own male partner every week. The leading cause of death, disability and ill health for women aged 15-44 is intimate partner violence. Just yesterday it was acknowledged by the nation’s police commissioners that vulgar attitudes towards women are the primary cause of such abominations, and yet men like Blanc are able to commit and even teach sexual violence unrestrained. These “pick up artists” hunt women as sport, referring to women as “game”. This is how sexual violence becomes normalised." Somayya Ismailjee.

Coercion of "consent" is not consent. Coercion through physical and emotional intimidation is abuse. Sexual abuse and domestic violence are criminal they're not "pick-up tactics" and they're not foundation for dating advice or a business. Australia shuts it doors to those fleeing persecution but apparently flings them wide open for those who want to preach violence. Choke-holding is abuse, physical and psychological intimidation are abusive and violations of universal public morality and human rights, they're also all things that Blanc has advocated the use of publicly in his seminars, on his social media and his website. Sexual harassment is not a way to pick up, it's a crime.

Hotel Como Melbourne, and the Marriot in Brisbane have announced their decision to cancel Blanc’s planned seminars after an online petition here on change.org started by Jennifer Li generated over 10,000 signatures and hundreds of social media posts from citizens pressuring the hotel to refuse Blanc the venue. Petitions can get results.

But Blanc has several more seminars planned in Australia this month and again in December, for which the venues are yet to be made public.

But where is the Australian Government in this? Where's the Minister for Women (Tony Abbott), and why does our Department of Immigration think it's appropriate to issue a visa that allows Blanc to hold events that promote rape culture, domestic abuse, racism and sexism? To borrow from a recent speech by Leader of the Federal Opposition, "Freedom of speech does not mean freedom to express prejudice or hatred", it does not mean freedom to encourage others to cause physical or emotional harm, it does not mean freedom to advocate for the abolition of consent, it does not give anyone the right sexually assault.

We the undersigned request that the Department of Immigration revoke Blanc's visa. His visa should be cancelled on the grounds he does not meet the character requirement set out in s501 of the Migration Act 1958 as there is a significant risk that the person will engage in criminal conduct in Australia; or harass, molest, intimidate or stalk another person in Australia; or vilify a segment of the Australian community; or incite discord in the Australian community or in a segment of that community; or represent a danger to the Australian community or to a segment of that community. Further reading on section 501 here: https://www.humanrights.gov.au/publications/background-paper-human-rights-issues-raised-visa-refusal-or-cancellation-under-sectio-1

In response to calls that this campaign seeks to "censor" Mr Blanc: His past and present conduct, of choke-holding women, forcing them into sexual positions such as forcing their face into his crouch, and psychologically tormenting women, is well documented. Sufficient evidence exists through his social media, website, past seminar content and youTube videos, enough to reasonably expect that he poses significant risk of engaging in this sexual harassment and physical abuse while within our borders. His seminars actively encourage men to follow his example and harass, molest, intimidate or stalk women. This request is not an exercise in repressing free speech for unpopular opinions, it is a request for the Minister to act within the law to ensure the safety and uphold the human rights of Australian women, and to prevent young desperate Australian men having criminal activity advocated to them as acceptable dating behaviours. This is well within the Ministers powers under section 501. and Ministerial Direction No. 55

In response to the trolls on social media who are attacking feminism in the wake of this public expression of contempt toward Mr Blanc's seminars. Feminism is about equality. Equal rights, treatment, respect and opportunity for women is equal rights, treatment, respect and opportunity for men, guys who rant like this that feminists are "man haters" are weak and angry that their male privilege to treat women like lesser people is being revoked, like Julian Blanc's visa to advocate domestic abuse needs to be revoked.

(Thanks to Somayya Ismailjee and this piece in the guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/05/julien-blanc-the-female-attraction-expert-glorifies-sexual-violence-the-less-seminars-he-holds-the-better) ;