London Mayor Matt Brown has weighed in on the upcoming concert by Bill Cosby at Budweiser Gardens.
In an email statement, Brown said, "I understand that many people across our community and across North America have strong concerns about the performance at Budweiser Gardens.
"I share those concerns. I have looked into it and learned, as is the case with several other entertainment venues in Ontario, the promoter or operator is responsible for its contracts with those scheduled to perform and only they can cancel a show."
Still, Deputy Mayor Paul Hubert says the city simply can't intervene, "The city has no involvement and nothing to do with that contract, nor can we interefere with that contract...[Londoners] lave the right not to go to that show and to protest it outside of Budweiser Gardens if that's their desire."
The press release comes after a major U.S. director called out London's Budweiser Gardens and Kitchener's Centre in the Square on Twitter earlier this week.
Cosby has three upcoming dates in Ontario, Jan. 7 in Kitchener, Jan. 8 in London and Jan. 9 in Hamilton before he continues his concert tour in the U.S.
Megan Walker, executive director of the London Abused Women’s Centre, says a protest is planned outside the venue at 6 p.m.
"We will be out in huge numbers protesting with signs and banners and making lots of noise."
She adds that people who bought tickets before the sexual assault allegations began to come to light and tried to return them, but couldn't, "are going to use those tickets to heckle Mr. Cosby while he's on stage."
Meanwhile, London Councillor Mo Salih has also said he wrote the comedian to ask him to reconsider his performance.
Cosby has not been charged or convicted of any crime, and Walker says, "Nobody is saying you're guilty and you're going to jail. What we are saying is we believe women - we believe what you're saying and we're going to stand in solidarity with you and try to take some action to prevent this alleged serial rapist from coming to London, Ontario."
Global Specturm, which manages Budweiser Gardens, has said cancelling the show would cost them financially, but also hurt their ability to book other big acts.
