Brighton MP Siân Rebecca Berry has urged for the cancellation of Marilyn Manson’s UK tour opener, citing serious concerns over sexual assault allegations.
A UK MP has formally called for Marilyn Manson’s upcoming show in Brighton to be cancelled, citing concerns over the sexual assault allegations made against him and the message it sends to survivors.
Green Party MP Siân Rebecca Berry, who is the member of Parliament for Brighton Pavilion, addressed the open letter to Brighton and Hove City Council. Marilyn Manson – real name Brian Warner – is currently set to begin his UK run at the Brighton Centre on October 29. The venue is the city’s largest publicly owned performance space.
“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,” Berry wrote.
She continued: “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.”
Berry’s letter calling for Marilyn Manson’s show to be cancelled has been co-signed by the Survivors’ Network, Reclaim The Night Brighton & Hove, The Queery Co-Op, and the University of Sussex Students’ Union, according to the Brighton Argus.
“Freedom of expression is an important principle that should be defended, including in relation to artists,” she noted, “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.”
This follows a similar statement last week from Millie Earl, leader of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, who called for Manson’s October 31 show at the Bournemouth International Centre to be scrapped. Earl said cancelling the show would “reinforce the message that violence against women and girls isn’t something that’s acceptable in our community.”
Since 2021, over a dozen women have accused Marilyn Manson of sexual misconduct. He has denied all allegations. Earlier this year, California prosecutors’ investigations related to claims from four women ended, with no criminal charges pressed because the allegations exceeded the statute of limitations.
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