'It is disgusting': Kitchener woman wants Hedley concert cancelled
Hedley is scheduled to perform at The Aud arena March 10. The city so far has no plans to cancel
A Kitchener woman has made a call to the City of Kitchener asking it to cancel the Hedley concert scheduled this month amid an allegationof sexual assault against the lead singer and multiple allegations of misconduct against band members.
"The allegations of sexual misconduct against the band, and more recently, the allegations of rape against their lead singer, are horrendous," said downtown Kitchener resident Kara Weiler in a letter sent to Mayor Berry Vrbanovic, city councillor Sarah Marsh and CBC News Thursday.
"Knowing this band is still on tour and many cities, including my own, are refusing to take action is disgusting."
Hedley is set to perform at city-owned The Audarena in Kitchener on March, 10, despite a show the next night in Windsor being cancelledCaesars Windsor is the first venue to cancel one of the shows on the Canadian pop-rock band's tour.
'Would rather make a profit'
Because TheAud is a venue owned by the city of Kitchener,Weilersaid in an interview with CBCNews Thursday, and by failing to cancel the showthe city "would rather make a profit than stand with survivors of sexual assault."
In her letter she wrote, "The inaction of the city to cancel this concert proves this decision is purely financially driven.
"Why else would a venue - OWNED BY THE CITY - refuse to cancel a show by a band with such horrendous allegations against them?"
Allegations
Hedleyhas been under fire sincesexual misconduct allegationsagainst the band began swirling two weeks ago. This week, CBCNews reported the story of anOttawa woman who accusedthe lead singer of the band, Jacob Hoggard of rape.
A statement from Hoggard's lawyer says the interaction between the singerand the Ottawa woman was consensual.
Weiler said seeing Hedleystill on tour after "such graphic allegations of rape came out" is "disgusting."
"Its disgusting to me that the city of Kitchener would choose to still participate and not make a stand against the band," she said.
"I'd becompletelydisappointed if they continued to go ahead with the show."
'Time is up'
For Weiler, though, this isn't the first time she has been disappointed in her city.
"This isn't 2015 anymore...hearing all the allegations come out, as well as this tour really brought back parallels to the Bill Cosby show that happened in January 2015 at the Centre in The Square," she said.
"There was a large outcry for that show to be cancelled and of course the Centre in the Square is also owned by the city, and (those demands) fell on deaf ears."
Weiler said she wants to see the city improve on the "grave inaction" to cancel the Cosby show.
"It was unacceptable...but fortunately, times have changed; time is up," she said.
"The conversation around sexual assault has been opened and now, in 2018, after all the rightful consequences we've seen abusers face, it is disgusting the City of Kitchener would not be proactive in making a decision to cancel the concert."
Blacklisted anddropped
Hedleyhas recently been blacklisted from numerous radio stations, includingCBCand a Calgary station with a host who saidHoggardmade comments of a sexual naturetowardher and grabbed her buttock after an interview.
The band has also been dropped by their management team.
On Wednesday, theband said in astatement on Twitter,they will be taking "an indefinite hiatus" after the conclusion of their current tour to "work on our personal relationships and who we are as individuals."
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