DARTMOUTH, Nova Scotia, July 14 (UPI) -- Nova Scotia's Rogers Communications Inc. has pulled sponsorship for an upcoming Chris Brown concert in Dartmouth after a public outcry on Twitter and Facebook.
Brown, a hip hop artist who was once convicted of assaulting his ex-girlfriend, pop star Rihanna, is scheduled to perform the Energy Rush concert at Alderney Landing on August 31, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
In 2009, Brown pleaded guilty to assault for hitting, choking and biting Rihanna during an argument in Los Angeles. Since then, he has been working to repair his image by attending violence counselling and putting out a new album.
On Saturday, Rogers, which was the main sponsor of the concert, announced via Twitter that it was pulling its sponsorship. A spokesman said the company it did not know who was headlining the concert when the company agreed to be a sponsor.
Rogers' move came after a number of local groups called for a boycott of the show.
"It's not a good message. It's not a good message for young women and it's certainly not a good message for young men," said Joanne Bernard, executive director of Alice Housing, a support center for women and children who are victims of domestic abuse. "The world is full of Chris Brown's who apologize after they beat a woman and they get caught ... until the next time. It's called the cycle of abuse."
