"This should be taken as a threat" — Internet reacts to Chris Brown commenting on Women For Change’s petition to ban him
The online community is in an uproar following Chris Brown's recent comments on a petition initiated by Women For Change, calling for a ban on the singer from performing in their country.
Women For Change is a nonprofit organization supporting and advocating for the constitutional rights of women and children in South Africa. On October 2, 2024, it started a petition to stop Chris Brown from performing in the country, due in December 2024. This was initiated in response to Brown's alleged history of violence against women, including the artist's 2009 arrest for assaulting Rihanna.
However, the situation became more concerning when the Virginia artist commented on Women For Change's Instagram post regarding the petition, expressing that he was eager to come.
"Can't wait to come," Chris Brown commented.
Subsequently, social media users have flooded X with reactions, expressing outrage and concern over the implications of his statement, suggesting that it could be a threat.
"This should be taken as a threat idc," one user said on X.
Many users on X expressed amusement at Chris Brown's comment, suggesting that he believed he had made an impactful statement. Additionally, some users pointed out that his remark inadvertently brought attention to his abusive past.
"Oh that's not…. He really thought he did something with that comment," one commented.
"He's literally rubbing his abusive past in their faces??????" another user on X.
"The audacity of this man to comment that after what he's done," a netizen wrote.
"This is what happens when you get no real consequences for your actions. He's way too bold and disrespectful," another commented.
However, some users expressed shock that Chris Brown's shows continued to sell out and questioned how he could still tour. Meanwhile, others suggested that individuals who do not wish to attend his concerts should not go.
"How is this man still selling albums and touring," one commented.
"I don't want to be that guy, but people paid tickets already, so if you don’t want to come, don't come," another wrote on X.
"WHY IS HE STILL FAMOUS.. he's just rubbing it in women's faces that he can get away with all this shit," one more wrote.
The petition has gained momentum as the conversation continues, with more than 37,000 signatures and endorsements.
"Shocked and deeply disappointed": Executive director of Women For Change talks about Chris Brown's concert
In early October, Women For Change launched a petition on Change.org calling for Chris Brown to be banned from performing in South Africa.
The petition highlights that his concert is scheduled just days after the "16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence" event, which many view as a "direct insult" to the campaign, given Chris Brown's alleged history of abuse.
"His concert is scheduled just days after the global commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, making this event a direct insult to the millions of women and girls affected by violence in South Africa and worldwide," the petition reads.
Moreover, the executive director of Women For Change, Sabina Walter, told BBC on October 13, 2024, that she was "shocked" and "disappointed" to hear that Chris Brown was coming to South Africa for a concert.
"When I saw the news that Chris Brown was coming to South Africa, I was shocked and deeply disappointed. The petition was started to send a strong message that we will not tolerate the celebration of individuals with a history of violence against women," Walter said.
She further emphasized that allowing Brown to perform in South Africa, where gender-based violence (GBV) is at a crisis level, could have damaging consequences for the country. It would convey the troubling message that fame and power precede accountability.
According to the BBC, the 35-year-old artist was sentenced in 2009 to five years of probation, community service, and domestic violence counseling for assaulting Rihanna when he was 19 years old.
This incident remains the most well-known case of abuse involving the singer. Additionally, in 2017, his former partner, Karrueche Tran, obtained a five-year restraining order against Brown after he threatened her multiple times.
Brown's South Africa concert is scheduled for December 14, 2024, in FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.
