The US group behind controversial "pick-up artist" Julien Blanc, who was deported from the country in 2014 for promoting the choking of women, has been secretly been organising seminars in Sydney and Melbourne.
Real Social Dynamics is promoting seminars that teach men how to pick up women. According to an online petition the methods employed to seduce a woman are to "belittle her, physically restrain her, mentally deride her, and abuse her until she submits".
RSD has plans to host seven events in Australia, including two in Melbourne on January 21 and April 7.
The tour, which purports to be free, is also heading to New Zealand on April 21. Other countries on the list include Israel, Canada, Norway, Sweden and Hungary. There are also events planned for the United States.
But the company has since removed the Australian listing from its website.
Julien Blanc of Real Social Dynamics, "the international gold standard of the dating industry", was in Australia in November 2014 to hold seminars teaching men how to "attract and seduce women quickly, easily and consistently".
But his avowed methods of choking women, grabbing their heads and pushing them toward his groin attracted the attention of social media denizens who saw it as violence towards women.
A week-long online campaign to #takedownjulienblanc, a petition and a protest at the venue at Yarra River saw the event fizzle out before it got started.
The outcry prompted the then Immigration Minister Scott Morrison to cancel Mr Blanc's visa.
When Fairfax media contacted a Sydney number listed on the RSD website, a man named Giovanni said the tour had been "postponed". He would not say what the new dates were.
Independent online magazine editor Chris Graham said he signed up for the course in Sydney. However, he said the venue for the seminar would only be revealed a few hours before the event.
Mr Graham said he had to enter credit card details and was warned there would be a 'no show fee' if he failed to attend subsequently.
You then get an email and have to go through a pretty convoluted process – you have to provide a lot of personal information, plus watch their video," he said.
"Then you earn an 'RSD Passport', and you have to sign a confidentiality agreement. Only after all that will they tell you where the event is being held – the venue details are emailed to you two hours before the start time."
Meanwhile, an online petition urging Immigration Minister Peter Dutton and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to cancel RSD co- founder Owen Cook's visa has gained more than 30,000 signatures.
Matt Jowett who started the Australia says NO to Julien Blanc's team teaching domestic violence petition, said he was surprised by the response to his petition.
"I find that the promotion and glorification of domestic violence is problematic at best, and the idea of profiting from that promotion through holding events that teach it is pretty abhorrent to me," Mr Jowett said.
Melbourne comedian Kirsty Mac was one of the organisers who helped chase Blanc out of the country.
She said they were now organising to stop his group from holding a seminar in the city.
"Our aim is to get them booted out of the country, because the government set a precedent kicking Julien Blanc out of the country and these guys are the same," she said.
"They should have put implementations in place to stop RSD from being able to come back.
"It's Owen Cook, the CEO, who is training all the guys up."
After South Yarra's Como Hotel cancelled Blanc's seminar in 2014, RSD scrambled to find a new venue. As quickly as they could book a new one, Miss Mac successfully rang its owners and arranged for them to also cancel.
Miss Mac said they knew RSD were planning to keep the venue a secret up until two hours before the event this time, using secret Facebook groups.
But she said her group would be ready to again ring potential venues, urging owners to be on the lookout, and hold another protest.
A spokeswoman for the Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said they were aware of the claims, but had not been provided information to "properly identify" who may be running the seminars.
"So it is hard to know if they will be of interest to immigration at this stage," she said.
"Australia welcomes millions of visitors each year and all non-citizens are expected to act appropriately, abide by the conditions of their visa and not break the law while in Australia."
RSD has plans to host seven events in Australia, including two in Melbourne on January 21 and April 7.
The tour, which purports to be free, is also heading to New Zealand on April 21. Other countries on the list include Israel, Canada, Norway, Sweden and Hungary. There are also events planned for the United States.
But the company has since removed the Australian listing from its website.
Julien Blanc of Real Social Dynamics, "the international gold standard of the dating industry", was in Australia in November 2014 to hold seminars teaching men how to "attract and seduce women quickly, easily and consistently".
But his avowed methods of choking women, grabbing their heads and pushing them toward his groin attracted the attention of social media denizens who saw it as violence towards women.
A week-long online campaign to #takedownjulienblanc, a petition and a protest at the venue at Yarra River saw the event fizzle out before it got started.
The outcry prompted the then Immigration Minister Scott Morrison to cancel Mr Blanc's visa.
When Fairfax media contacted a Sydney number listed on the RSD website, a man named Giovanni said the tour had been "postponed". He would not say what the new dates were.
Independent online magazine editor Chris Graham said he signed up for the course in Sydney. However, he said the venue for the seminar would only be revealed a few hours before the event.
Mr Graham said he had to enter credit card details and was warned there would be a 'no show fee' if he failed to attend subsequently.
You then get an email and have to go through a pretty convoluted process – you have to provide a lot of personal information, plus watch their video," he said.
"Then you earn an 'RSD Passport', and you have to sign a confidentiality agreement. Only after all that will they tell you where the event is being held – the venue details are emailed to you two hours before the start time."
Meanwhile, an online petition urging Immigration Minister Peter Dutton and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to cancel RSD co- founder Owen Cook's visa has gained more than 30,000 signatures.
Matt Jowett who started the Australia says NO to Julien Blanc's team teaching domestic violence petition, said he was surprised by the response to his petition.
"I find that the promotion and glorification of domestic violence is problematic at best, and the idea of profiting from that promotion through holding events that teach it is pretty abhorrent to me," Mr Jowett said.
Melbourne comedian Kirsty Mac was one of the organisers who helped chase Blanc out of the country.
She said they were now organising to stop his group from holding a seminar in the city.
"Our aim is to get them booted out of the country, because the government set a precedent kicking Julien Blanc out of the country and these guys are the same," she said.
"They should have put implementations in place to stop RSD from being able to come back.
"It's Owen Cook, the CEO, who is training all the guys up."
After South Yarra's Como Hotel cancelled Blanc's seminar in 2014, RSD scrambled to find a new venue. As quickly as they could book a new one, Miss Mac successfully rang its owners and arranged for them to also cancel.
Miss Mac said they knew RSD were planning to keep the venue a secret up until two hours before the event this time, using secret Facebook groups.
But she said her group would be ready to again ring potential venues, urging owners to be on the lookout, and hold another protest.
A spokeswoman for the Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said they were aware of the claims, but had not been provided information to "properly identify" who may be running the seminars.
"So it is hard to know if they will be of interest to immigration at this stage," she said.
"Australia welcomes millions of visitors each year and all non-citizens are expected to act appropriately, abide by the conditions of their visa and not break the law while in Australia."
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