Falling In Reverse's Ronnie Radke Reported To Tasmanian Police For Alleged Online Attack On Councillors

Ronnie Radke, the frontman of the American rock band Falling In Reverse, has been reported to Tasmanian police after sharing a video that allegedly attacked Councillors of the City of Launceston.

Conflict between Radke and the council began last week when the singer met with the Mayor of Launceston, Matthew Garwood, after Falling In Reverse’s recent show in Adelaide. Garwood, a fan of the band, took a photo with Radke and shared it on social media following a meet and greet.

After the photo was shared online, ABC posted an article about locals’ concerns about the Mayor being pictured with Radke, as he has a history of domestic violence and assault charges and served time in prison. Radke has also found controversy for allegedly making transphobic and homophobic comments online.

Among the people who expressed concerns about Garwood's being pictured with Radke was Councillor Andrea Dawkins, who said multiple women had contacted her with worries.

“They are understandably perplexed why our mayor would stand in solidarity with a person convicted of parole violations associated with violence,” Dawkins said.

On Saturday (22 March), Radke shared a response to the ABC article with a five-minute video posted on social media, where he described the ABC as “propaganda” and called Dawkins a “Lego-headed bitch,” among other insults.

Addressing the local community who shared concerns about Radke being pictured with Garwood, the singer said, “You guys are such fucking pussy ass bitches. I’m coming back with a vengeance with that shit … I’m coming for your fucking ugly asses next.”

Captioning the video “Go give @andreaedawkinslovesequality the much needed bullying she deserves,” Radke shared her council number and email address and encouraged his followers to make “a ton of emails and calls.”

Radke shared a second video attacking additional councillors.

Pulse Tasmania reports that in response to Radke’s video, City of Launceston CEO Sam Johnson condemned the singer’s videos attacking councillors and revealed that the social media posts had been forwarded to the police.

“The City of Launceston condemns the dangerous and irresponsible actions of US singer Ronnie Radke, who has used his social media platform to incite harassment and abuse against elected councillors,” Johnson said.

“His recent Instagram video – which calls on his followers to target and intimidate Councillors who expressed concerns over a photo with the Mayor – is not only reckless but entirely unacceptable.”

Johnson added, “The council will not tolerate threats or harassment directed at its elected members or staff. We will be working closely with Tasmania Police to monitor the situation and ensure that those responsible for any abusive or threatening behaviour face appropriate consequences.

“We call on Mr Radke to immediately retract his inflammatory statements and take responsibility for the harm his words have caused. We’ve reported the video to Instagram, and are urging this and any other social media platforms to take swift action in addressing the misuse of their services to incite targeted harassment.”

Yesterday, Garwood shared a post on social media, describing the last week as “absolute mayhem.”

“I am deeply alarmed to hear of serious threats towards my colleagues and concerned around the manner in which these uploads were delivered,” Garwood wrote.

“The recent social media posts made by Ronnie Radke regarding City of Launceston Councillors were entirely his own and do not reflect my views in any way. I do not condone violence or threats against anyone, and I believe in respectful discourse, even in disagreement, which is something that I, too, need to be better at.

“These posts are a personal response from Mr. Radke to individual comments made about him. They were not directly related to my attendance at his show. It is important to separate individual opinions from broader discussions, and I encourage respectful engagement on all matters.

“As stated in my previous post, I saw this as simply an opportunity to meet a band that I’ve listened to since high school. Never to endorse any specific actions or personal positions of the band. I appreciate that people have differing views on this, and I will continue to respect those perspectives.”

Falling in Reverse wrapped up their Popular Mons(Tour) run in arenas across the country last week with special guests Black Veil Brides and Hollywood Undead.