NEWS: Such a loss. Misogynist "pick-up artist" kicked out of the country.

Trigger warning: This post deals with themes of violence against women

Update: 

Controversial “dating coach” Julien Blanc has left Australia after having his visa cancelled overnight by Immigration Minister, Scott Morrison.

The Immigration Minister told Sky News this afternoon, “this guy wasn’t putting forward political ideas, he was putting forward abuse that was derogatory to women and…those are values abhorred in this country.”

A tweet by Victoria Police has confirmed that we’re no longer breathing the same air as Blanc: “We can confirm Julien Blanc left Australia overnight. His assistant is also due to leave shortly.”

The campaign against notorious “pick-up artist” Julien Blanc, AKA shameless misogynyst who has been accused of promoting violence against women, has reached new heights.

And Blanc’s supporters are not happy about it.

In case you’ve missed Mamamia’s coverage of the guy so far, Blanc is a “dating coach” for Real Social Dynamics who travels the world charging men hundreds of dollars to learn his vile techniques — which promise to teach guys how to “NEVER give (a woman) the validation she’s after” and how to “Bang the Hotties by Dissing the Fatties”.

Julien Blanc has also tweeted photos of himself choking women.

The 25-year-old Californian man was supposed to be giving a seminar teaching men how to “game bitches” in Melbourne last night —  but that talk was cancelled by the venue after a social media protest and online petition to #takedownjulienblanc went viral. (Other venues including the Mecure Hotel in Brisbane and hotels in Seattle and Austin have also cancelled upcoming talks by the man, Daily Life reports.)

About 50 of Blanc’s supporters, many of them “men’s rights activists”, turned up to Melbourne’s Southbank last night in the hope of attending the Blanc seminar on a hired riverboat. But Blanc himself did not arrive, and the seminar was instead run by his assistant Max, who said he did not know where Blanc was.

The meeting was then disrupted by dozens of protesters, and Melbourne River Cruises cancelled the group’s booking and asked them to leave, the Herald Sun reports.

Police subsequently moved Blanc’s supporters off the boat.

The group, which included men’s rights activists, were infuriated — with one attendee yelling: “See you in hell, feminists!… Long live men.”

Shocked staff on the boat told the Herald Sun they had not known what the event was about when they received the booking.

Love this. From @LiamQuinn__: “Cruise is cancelled, get off the boat” https://t.co/cxDrauJag9 #takedownjulienblanc

— Asher Wolf (@Asher_Wolf) November 6, 2014

Blanc’s assistant Matt told the Herald Sun he was made to feel unsafe by protesters, after he claimed he was “physically attacked” during the scuffle. “It was very aggressive and very sad,” he said. “We were actually fearing our safety and that’s really not cool”.

The IRONY of a bunch of men feeling they’re in danger on a boat they boarded to learn how to make women feel in danger. #takedownjulienblanc — Kiera (@KieraGorden) November 6, 2014

In related news, a new Change.org petition calling for Scott Morrison to cancel Julien Blanc’s visa has attracted more than 6500 signatures.

“That Julien Blanc can sustain a profitable business out of promoting sexual violence with total impunity is a testament to the extent to which our society accepts violence and sexual assault against women,” the petition’s organiser Matt Jowett writes.

“Blanc has several more seminars planned in Australia this month and again in December, for which the venues are yet to be made public.

“But where is the Australian Government in this? Where’s the Minister for Women (Tony Abbott), and why does our Department of Immigration think it’s appropriate to issue a visa that allows Blanc to hold events that promote rape culture, domestic abuse, racism and sexism?”

Blanc is on his Australian tour, with his next stop being Brisbane from 13-15 November.

You can sign the petition to get Blanc’s visa cancelled here.

If you believe you may be an abusive partner, you can receive help via Relationships Australia on 1300 364 277. If you have experienced, or are at risk of domestic violence or sexual assault, you can receive help by calling 1800 RESPECT – 1800 737 732. If you are in immediate danger please call the police on 000.