Pair stage protest at top of Carfax Tower

Pair stage protest at top of Carfax Tower

Protestors dressed as the Incredible Hulk and a court jester have staged a demonstration on top of Oxford's Carfax Tower.

They're both members of a group calling itself 'New Fathers 4 Justice' - a splinter group from the original Fathers4Justice, which has now disbanded.

One of the protestors, Roger Crawford, 60, claims he hasn't been able to see his daughter for 15 years. The pair paid to enter the Carfax Tower just before 11.30am on Friday 19 June. When at the top, they started their demonstration, unfurling banners, and refusing to come down.

Roger Crawford, 60, from Bedfordshire, and Peter Smith, 33, from Bristol, were given a 5pm deadline by police to come down.

The protest ended just after 2.00pm when a pre-booked group of schoolchildren turned up hoping to go up the Tower. The protestors decided to end their demonstration so the school trip could go ahead.

No arrests were made and both protesters left the Tower waving to the passing cars and crowds watching.

MP Confirms Harman Rejected F4J Meeting

The founder of Fathers 4 Justice, Matt O'Connor,said that Mark Oaten MP had confirmed that his office received a letter from the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party Harriet Harman rejecting a meeting with Fathers 4 Justice on the 18th December 2006, citing 'ministerial commitments.'

Click on picture to enlarge

Said O'Connor today, "As we said at the weekend, we have exhausted every avenue to engage the government in dialogue, only for our efforts to be rejected. We understand the decision not to engage us was taken at Cabinet level and that Ms Harman's comments were a deliberate calculation to mislead the media and public.'

'What else can Fathers 4 Justice do in these circumstances other than to resume direct action.'

Cartoon

Fathers in protest at Harman home

Two Fathers 4 Justice protesters dressed as Spider-Man and Batman have scaled the roof of deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman's home.

The two men said they will not come down until the Government "takes them seriously".

The men said their names were Nigel Ace, 40, who was dressed as Spider-Man, and Tony Ashby, 42, in the Batman costume. They said they had enough food supplies to last for a week.


Mr Ace, who described himself as a sales manager from Bristol, said the stunt was provoked by Ms Harman's recent pledge to ensure equality in the workforce.

He said: "What about dads? We haven't got equality. The Government is ignoring us and has a feminist agenda. We want Harriet Harman to come back here and engage in a debate with us and, if not, then Gordon Brown should come. I am trained in survival, so I don't care how long we are up here."

Mr Ashby, who described himself as a painter and decorator from Leicester, said he had not seen his children for seven years.

He said: "We have been up here since 6am and we are in for the long haul. We don't want to cause trouble, we just want to get our message across."

The protest comes as Ms Harman is due to stand in for Gordon Brown in Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons while he attends the G8 summit in Japan. She left her home in Herne Hill, south London, at 7.45am and ignored the protesters, who draped a flag on her wall saying "Stop the war on dads".

The men said they had not been involved in any previous stunts and drew straws to decide who would stage the protest.

The demonstration is the second time in little over a month that Fathers 4 Justice has staged a protest at Ms Harman's home.

BRISTOL COURTS EVACUATED AMID FATHERS' PROTEST

Dozens of employees were evacuated from a Bristol family court today when Fathers 4 Justice campaigners stormed the building and a fire alarm was set off.Court and construction staff huddled outside Bristol County Court, in the high-rise Greyfriars building in the city centre, and waited for the fire service to arrive.



Around 30 banner-waving protesters dressed as various superheroes stopped at the courts during a street demonstration through Bristol in support of fathers' rights.

Around 10 protesters dressed as Spiderman, Batman, Superman and The Incredibles forced their way into the court and chanted "What do we want? Justice. When do we want it? Now."

A fire alarm was activated, although court staff could not confirm who was responsible, and nearly 100 staff flooded into the street outside.

Two police vans arrived, along with two fire engines, and the men soon left the court building and continued their march.

The demonstration was joined by two campaigners who scaled the roof of deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman's home in Herne Hill, south London, earlier this week.

Jolly Stanesby and Mark Harris, both from south Devon, started the rooftop protest on Sunday and continued for more than 24 hours. They have since been bailed by police.

Mr Stanesby, from Ivybridge, said: "We always have a little get-together before Father's Day to put our message across."

Fathers 4 Justice is a civil rights group which campaigns for parental equality and a father's right to see his children.

Mr Stanesby added: "Just because my ex decided to move on to another boyfriend shouldn't mean I don't get to see my child.

"Her new boyfriend can see my child as long as he likes, whereas I have to apply and have boundaries. I have to have checks, doctor reports... The courts are corrupt."

Mr Stanesby said he and Mr Harris have written to Ms Harman to request a meeting with her.

He said: "She's Minister for Justice and Minister for Women - how can those two things go together?"

Mr Harris, from Plymouth, said opening family courts to the public was one of the focal points of the Fathers 4 Justice campaign.

He said: "Open up the courts so people can see the ridiculous decision made against fathers. I was once sent to prison for waving at my daughters."

The march started at The Pithay and moved up to Perry Road via Corn Street and Colston Avenue, where the group unveiled a new poster campaign.

The poster showed an image of a child dressed in a superhero costume and read: "If this little superhero doesn't see his daddy on Father's Day, he doesn't see half his family."

Fathers 4 Justice bring their fight to the West

NO OPTION BUT TO DISRUPT OUR LIVES

06 December 2007

Last week we heard from journalist Adam Postans on why he believes Fathers 4 Justice has taken the wrong route to win public support. In response, the group's founder Matt O'Connor explains why direct action by the campaigners may close the motorways before Christmas

Take That and the Spice Girls have been staging comebacks. Now, according to Adam Postans, so will the Sex Pistols of protest groups, Fathers 4 Justice (F4J).Are the rumours and Press reports true? Will the Severn bridges be converted into Europe's largest outdoor car parks courtesy of the lycra lads? Is Wales going to be closed for Christmas?

And will Batman come out of retirement in the new year?

The answer to that question currently resides with the Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions, Peter Hain - the "Minister of Pain" as we have dubbed him, who bottled our first meeting, despite inviting us to his Neath constituency in Wales all the way from Southampton.

Here was a Minister who would shake the hands of Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness, but wouldn't shake the hands of a man who is known only for bolstering sales of superhero garb in our nation's fancy-dress shops. That man, by the way, is me.

If these last-ditch attempts at constructive dialogue fail, we are left with no alternative other than to resume a full-scale campaign, the scale and type of which will make the first phase of Fathers 4 Justice look like the Boys' Brigade. Big dramatic statements will be required, for these are the accelerants of change and change is what our children deserve.

For five years, Fathers 4 Justice has valiantly waged a campaign for equal parenting using ridicule, satire and subversion as weapons of choice against the establishment. We have faced imprisonment, huge trials, people being shot at and Government smear campaigns.

But recent protests have been relatively low-key, compared to our halcyon days as dialogue came before direct action.

More recently there have been unconnected moronic acts of vandalism by somebody with the mental electricity of a low-energy light bulb.

Our target is the system, not our nation's heritage.

But, in the quieter interludes behind the headlines, Fathers 4 Justice have engaged in plenty of soul-baring and pressed the flesh of the great and the good, so much so that, last week, the Archbishop of York spoke warmly about our campaign in the House of Lords.

Despite blowing enough hot air to power an offshore wind farm, Adam Postans' views are not rooted in any kind of reality, especially when he accuses the courts of being lenient on F4J protesters.

He should take note that when judged by a jury - the real court of public opinion - we have been found not guilty in six trials by jury.

But the real story here is that fatherhood is being made redundant, emotionally, finan- cially and biologically. This is a national emergency and that's why Fathers 4 Justice will continue to sound the alarm.

YOU have no rights to see your children in law after separation. The courts will tell you that they are acting in the "child's best interests" but this is an unfounded claim. There is no evidence to prove this because no records have been kept on the outcomes for children.

Family law is the devil's labyrinth, run by an unelected, unaccountable and unsackable judiciary who operate in secrecy. This is the greatest cover-up in the history of British justice. The question is, just what have they got to hide?

This insidious gender apartheid determines that the mother shall be the carer and the father shall pay. The Government is happy for you to abandon your child tomorrow - providing you pay. You are not a father, you are a cashpoint.

The final coup de grace has been the removal of the father by design. The Embryology Bill will see the unprecedented removal of the need for a father in legislation for the first time and allow single parenting to become the lifestyle choice du jour for millions of selfish women.

The catastrophic consequence of the sex wars is the harvest of bullets and blades that sees children killing children on our streets, the highest rate of young offending in Western Europe, the highest rate of teenage pregnancies and also an epidemic of abortion.

The evidence is overwhelming that Britain is in breakdown - family breakdown, driven by the systematic removal of the father by the state from the family unit.

Mr Postans might put his personal convenience above a duty to the nation but we will not. We not only have a duty of care to our children, but a duty to act according to a higher moral code - the prevailing laws of natural justice that dictate children have two parents - not the perversion of justice that is family law.

The philosopher Thomas Paine once wrote: "If there be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace." We have gone to war for lesser principles. Nothing is more important than the children we love and cherish.

If that means that the roads will close this Christmas, then as a father for justice, I say let them.

To find out more about possible road closures between England and Wales, please make a visit to www.fathers-4-justice.org

F4J ‘GUERRILLAS’ TARGET LANDMARK

Campaign group Fathers4Justice have made their mark on Bristol again by spelling out the group’s name on one of the city’s most famous landmarks.The name has been written in the grounds of Dower House, a large yellow building that stands overlooking the M32.

Once a mental hospital, the grade II listed house, which is 400 years old, has been converted into luxury apartments.

F4J bosses have said the stunt was carried out by a guerrilla splinter group following plans to step up operations in the city. Matt O’Connor, who founded F4J in December 2002, said he was not aware of the stunt.


He said: “There’s a lot of random activity going on in the West Country at the moment. This has been carried out by a guerrilla faction of Fathers4Justice. That’s the nature of our campaign at the moment.

“There’s always been a very strong power base in Bristol and things are starting to heat up again.”

Mr O’Connor has referred to Bristol as the “engine room” of Fathers4Justice in the past.

The Cerne Abbas Giant Given Purple Penis

The giant 40ft penis of the world famous Cerne Giant, in the Dorset village of Cerne Abbas has been painted purple last night according to campaign group Fathers 4 Justice (F4J).

The group say they were contacted this morning by a father describing himself as the West Country's 'Purple Phantom'. Purple is the international colour for equality. Written beside the giant were a reference to a recently published book by Fathers 4 Justice.

The Phantom who styles himself and gets his inspiration from is favourite artist 'Banksy' wishes to remain anonymous but has commented

'The only people who might be a bit upset are the couples who apparently regularly copulate on the penis in the dead of night because it apparently has magical powers to boost fertility.It'll be interesting to see how many local men complain of purple hands and knees and women end up with purple bottoms and highlights! '

'The Giants penis definitely has a purple ting rather than a bright glow but rumour has it the local council have been 'rubbing it off' - Rather them than me you don't know what might happen !!'

When asked about any damage the Phantom said that 'The grass would grow quickly at this time of year and within the month you should be able to trim his bush.' If in a rush he suggested a quick Brazilian wax.

The 'Purple Phantom' also warned that he was going to close roads in Dorset and the West Country by spreading over two tonnes of purple jam onto major roads, dual carriageways and motorways. In the call he said, 'I've got my jam, and I'm going to use it.'

A picture of the Purple Phantoms bale banner on a very busy stretch of the M5 near Bristol Junction 20.

PROTESTING DADS TO TARGET JUDGES

Campaigning dads are preparing to step up their protests against the legal system by targeting Bristol judges.Fathers4Justice (F4J), which was relaunched in the city earlier this year, is going back to some of its original tactics in an attempt to change the law.

But the move has been branded "inappropriate and irresponsible" by the judicial office.

Nationally, the group has drawn up a list of judges who, it claims, have treated dads badly during family law cases.

Their names and addresses have been published on the F4J website, www.fathers-4-justice.org, in a list headed "Your Time Is Up: Britain's Worst Judicial Offenders".

Five judges from the Bristol circuit are named on the list: Andrew Rutherford, Paul Robert Barclay, Richard Bromilow, David Keith Ticehurst and Susan Darwall Smith.

The campaign group is planning to target them with direct action during the coming weeks.

F4J's Bristol co-ordinator, Nigel Ace, said: "We will be targeting judges nationwide and are going to be doing a lot more of these kind of stunts to put the wind up them. There are going to be more rooftop protests.

"There has been too much talking, what with everything that's happened since the original group disbanded. We're now going back to our older tactics."

Mr Ace said the judges being targeted were ones who are known to the campaign group through members who have tried to get access to their children in the city.

He said: "We're all for equality - but there's no equality in the family courts.

"You go in and feel like you're a child, but worse, because you're so powerless."

The announcement comes days after the campaign group launched itself in America.

Campaigners dressed as Captain America and Batman climbed on to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.

Mr Ace hinted that the group could carry out more direct action in Bristol soon.

A Judicial Communications Office spokesperson said: "There is no justification or public interest served in publishing the home addresses or other private details of judges.

"It can serve no purpose other than to intrude into the privacy of the judge and encourage harassment of the judge and his/her family in their home.

"In the case of their court work, family judges have to make difficult decisions based on the individual circumstances of a case.

"By their very nature, these cases are emotional and feelings often run high.

"However, all parties have the opportunity to express their opinion to the judge prior to a decision being made and the right to seek to appeal decisions that they regard as unfair."

Fathers 4 Justice man is released

A barrister jailed for failing to pay child maintenance has been released.
Michael Cox, 43, from Hythe, Hampshire, was jailed for 42 days at the end of June for failing to pay £43,000 owed to the Child Support Agency.

Fathers 4 Justice protesters and his 13-year-old son protested outside Bristol Prison, demanding his release.

Mr Cox was released on bail by a judge at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday, and is now planning to challenge the decision to commit him to prison.
Legal advisor

He said: "The tragic irony of this case is that the only time I have been unable to care for my children is when the state removed me from them.

"I have suffered the trauma of being locked in solitary confinement for no good reason and naturally I have been anxious about the welfare of my children and family."

He maintains that, because his children live with him half of the time, he should not have to pay.
In court Mr Cox's ex-wife, Lesley Peach, begged magistrates not to jail him, arguing that she would not be able to work without Cox looking after their children.

Mr Cox is a legal adviser to Fathers 4 Justice.

PURPLE RIBBONS PUT UP AS FATHER HELD IN JAIL

10:40 - 03 July 2007

Fathers' rights campaigners have been putting up purple ribbons in the city.Members of Fathers4Justice (F4J) returned to Bristol Prison yesterday to renew their campaign about the imprisonment of Michael Cox, who is serving time in the jail for failing to make payments to the Child Support Agency.

Mr Cox, a barrister for the movement, was sentenced to 42 days in prison last week, but he was moved from Dorchester prison in Dorset to Bristol due to security issues.

On Sunday around 60 campaigners gathered outside the prison in Horfield and even stormed the entrance.And yesterday they tied a purple ribbon around the sign for the prison as a sign of their support for Mr Cox, before heading to the Clifton Suspension Bridge to tie ribbons on the landmark.

Nigel Ace, Bristol spokesman for F4J, said: "We went to the bridge because it is the symbol of F4J in Bristol because we carried out action there before."It also shows that we are trying to bridge the gap that exists for equality. Purple is the colour of unity."F4J is to continue its campaign of protests over Mr Cox, who they claim has been made a "Guantanamo dad", and an example for other fathers.

Pictured is Mr Ace putting up purple ribbons on the Clifton Suspension Bridge.

PROTESTERS RALLY BEHIND JAILED DAD

10:40 - 02 July 2007

Campaigners for a father jailed for failing to make child support payments have staged a protest outside Bristol prison.Michael Cox, a barrister for Fathers4Justice, was sentenced to 42 days in jail despite arguing he should not have to pay child support because he looked after his children for half the week.

About 60 people gathered outside the prison in Cambridge Road, Horfield, to protest for his release.Nigel Ace, a spokesman for the fathers' rights group, said at one point the protesters stormed the prison entrance.

He said: "The protest today was a show of solidarity. We actually stormed the prison, got into reception, but couldn't get any further."So we stayed there and shouted "free Michael", before going round to his window on the other side of the building, where he shouted down to us."The father-of-five was jailed by magistrates in Southampton, where he lives.

It is understood Cox's son Matthew, 13, was among those protesting .Mr Cox has joint custody of his sons, he argued that because he pays for his children when he's caring for them he shouldn't be treated as an absent father by the Child Support Agency. But he was jailed for failing to pay £46,000 he owed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUg6PZ3tfDU

In court Mr Cox's ex-wife, Lesley Peach, begged magistrates not to jail him, arguing that she would not be able to work without Cox looking after their children.

FEEDBACK: FATHERS 4 JUSTICE

I note Jeff Hall has made a few negative remarks about Fathers 4 Justice and our Future Heroes Conga4Kids campaign ("Fathers ask others to pay up again", Open Lines, April 21). I would like to address his comments, such as Fathers 4 Justice being comprised of "responsibility-dodgers".Fathers 4 Justice are fathers and/or grandparents who wish to see their children, but are being prevented from doing so.

We are being prevented from doing so by spiteful mothers who put their wants before those of the children - that's irresponsible - and the current family law that is too antiquated and ambiguous, which allows it to be abused by these mothers and the courts.Every day, I speak to fathers who are at their wits' ends because they feel powerless in this system.

I, for one - as in the case of many other dads - fought for two years exactly to get to see my three-and-a-half-year-old daughter.Despite no contact, I still paid maintenance - over and above the statutory requirement - privately, and not through the CSA, to my ex-wife. I now have regular contact.I trained myself in family law, as do many other dads in order that we can fight the system and win our individual cases.

Fathers 4 Justice feels that to "fund" the legal system is not in the best interests of the child, as the lawyers are the only winners in this adversarial system.Having spoken to many barristers, solicitors and judges, they agree with us.We advocate responsibility from both parents to see, support, educate, raise and love our children.

We are opposed to "responsibility-dodgers".The problem is that New Labour has done nothing to change the law or system. However, it must be said that the Tories are much more proactive on this and other social issues.In particular, my local MP, Liam Fox, has been very helpful in persuading his party members through their Social Policy Group.

We're trying to change the law where there is an automatic presumption of 50/50 child contact when partners split and compulsory mediation prior to going to the family court. Also, currently open courts are highly biased towards the mother, and are able to get away with this as they are closed to the public

With regard to our charity being for "fatherless children", we know that one in four children live in a lone-parent household, and 97 per cent of non-resident parents are fathers. However, we would like to stress that all children are included, not just fatherless children.

There are 100 children who lose contact with their dads every day in the UK. Don't you think those children need help, guidance and support? Are you aware that 70 per cent of young offenders come from lone-parent households?We feel that fatherlessness is a significant contributory factor in the social breakdown of Britain.

With regard to a distinction being made between fatherless or motherless children, we make no distinction, although it needs to be said that 97 per cent of non-resident parents are fathers. We would prefer the child to have contact with both parents.

The true measure of a nation's standing is how it attends to its children - their health and safety, their material security, their education and socialisation and their sense of being loved, valued and included in the families and societies that they are born into.This is what Fathers 4 Justice and the Future Heroes project Conga4Kids is all about.

Mr Hall, I excuse your comments, as Fathers 4 Justice has been the victim of a negative slur campaign and your views are undoubtedly tarnished by this.We are trying to help the UK have a better society for our kids' sake. Please don't knock us, and help support the helpers of children and society alike.

Nigel Ace, Fathers 4 Justice.

I WOULD like to respond to Jeff Hall's letter.

Although the activities of Fathers 4 Justice do not always give the cause a good name, you should remember that many members - far from tax-dodgers - are, in fact, decent, hard working, responsible men desperate to support their children while being denied access to them.

If you had any real knowledge of the group, you would know that in addition to fathers, the group also supports grandparents fighting for access to their grandchildren.There is, in fact, a lot more support out there for mothers (which no doubt contributes to the poor plight of fathers after relationships break down) than there is for fathers, and I personally think they deserve all the positive publicity that they can get.

Debbie Halfhide

CHILDREN need both parents and the support of the church, schools and communities to provide the social glue to hold them together.In many cases, kids have been left to run riot.

I

cannot comprehend why the police are not supporting and pushing for an automatic right for fathers to have contact with their children if the children are not at risk.

Surely it is better for them if children are having contact with fathers who want to see them rather than have them running around our streets.

Why is family law such a political blindspot? Oh yes, that's right, our Parliament is chock full of lawyers with their hands in the till.

No wonder they oppose a change.The Legal Aid bill for child contact cases this year (mainly to mothers blocking contact) will be in excess of £600 million, which you and I pay for out of our pocket through taxes.

Does that make sense?

Look carefully at the devastating recent Unicef report that put Britain near the bottom for children's wellbeing - and what are the main parties doing? Nothing.At least Fathers 4 Justice care and have set up a charity, Future Heroes, to help youngsters from fatherless families.

LET'S ALL DO THE CONGA, SAY F4J FUNDRAISERS

Given some of the stunts the Fathers 4 Justice campaign group has carried out in the past, a conga line seems a little incongruous.But that's what the dads' pressure group - renowned for headline-grabbing stunts like climbing the Bristol Suspension Bridge in superhero costumes - is organising in Weston-super-Mare next month.

Bristol's Fathers 4 Justice group, which was relaunched in Downend in February, is urging children to deck themselves out in purple and join the giant sponsored conga.The charity event will take place on the resort's promenade and will raise funds for youngsters from fatherless familiies.

The first Conga4Kids event kicked off in Brighton last Monday and Weston will follow suit on the May Bank Holiday.F4J is holding a big conga event through London ahead of Father's Day to officially launch its Future Heroes charity. It claims to be the UK's first charity run for kids by kids and hopes to give away a million pounds to fund children's projects over five years.

Campaigners are hoping to beat the amount raised at the conga event in Brighton in order to maximise the grants they will give to youngsters in Bristol.Children, their parents, grandparents and all conga lovers are encouraged to turn up dressed in purple, wearing purple wigs, cloaks and face paint. A samba band will accompany the fundraisers as they wind their way along the promenade.

Bristol F4J co-ordinator Nigel Ace said: "This is our statement of recognition to show that we're acting in the best interests of children. Hopefully, we will raise plenty of cash in order to give back to the children of the greater Bristol area and enable us to improve the opportunity for kids in the UK.

Britain is currently the worst of all European countries when it comes to raising children, as highlighted in the recent Unicef report. We all have to make sacrifices in order to change this shameful recent social statistic."For further details, contact Nigel on 07895 088 049.

Bristol Meeting 23rd April 2007

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have a new date, Monday April 23rd at 19:30.

The NEW VENUE for the next meeting is:
The John Cabot Inn
385 Gloucester Road
HorfieldBristol
Avon
BS7 8TN.
go onto www.pubsgalore.co.uk for a map. easy to find/parking/lounge etc
We have lots to get through including:

1. CONGA ON THE PROM
2. NEW ACTION IN BRISTOL

Let's have a good turn out and get the show on the road.

CONGA WILL BRIDGE GAP FOR CHARITY

Children and grandparents in the city are being encouraged to join a giant conga across Clifton suspension bridge.

Fathers4Justice (F4J) has arranged the charity event for next month. The group that campaigns for fathers' rights has moved into charity work to help youngsters from fatherless families.It is part of an initiative from the campaign group nationally, but all funds raised in Bristol will help youngsters in the city.

The first Conga4Kids event is happening on Monday in Brighton and Bristol will follow suit on the May Bank Holiday.F4J is holding a big conga event through London ahead of Father's Day to officially launch its Future Heroes charity. It claims to be the UK's first charity run for kids by kids and hopes to give away a million pounds to fund children's projects over five years.The Bristol Conga will take place on Monday May 7 at noon at the Clifton Suspension

Bridge.Campaigners are hoping to hold a picnic and to plan a whole day of entertainment. Youngsters are encouraged to turn up dressed as super-heroes or wear purple wigs.

Local F4J member, Nigel Ace, said: "Hopefully we will have a picnic on the day and will hopefully we will make a really fun time of it."This is our attempt with F4J to show that we're about more than the stunts that we've had bad press for in the past."Anyone who wishes to take part in the event should contact Nigel on 07895 088 049.

DADS' PROTEST GROUP BACK WITH PLANS FOR BIG STUNT

The founder of Fathers 4 Justice (F4J) has hinted that the campaign group could pull off another big stunt in Bristol within the next few weeks.Matt O'Connor, who was in Bristol for the relaunch of the organisation in the city, suggested that something may happen soon that could bring traffic to a standstill.

He would not say any more on the stunt but did refer to Bristol as the "engine room" of Fathers 4 Justice.Mr O'Connor was speaking at a meeting in Downend pub which was the first time many of the key members had been united since a rift in June 2005. An internal row at the time led to the expulsion of Bristol members Jeff Skinner and Chris Hawkins and the suspension of one of the organisation's best-known activists, Jason Hatch.

Jeff Skinner, 40, of Downend was then involved in the formation of the Real Fathers 4 Justice, which he has since left behind to back F4J again.He will now continue to be a key representative of F4J in Bristol.He opened the meeting by referring to the now re-united members, saying: "After the trials and tribulations of the last few years I'm very pleased to announce that F4J in Bristol and across the country is back."

Mr Hatch, who is best-known for climbing onto a balcony at Buckingham Palace dressed as Batman and a similar stunt on the Clifton Suspension Bridge, travelled to the meeting from his Trowbridge home, and Pat Lennon, who was Superman on the bridge, made the trip from Cheltenham.

The Beaufort Hunt pub, where the relaunch meeting took place, is the same pub where the campaigners came up with the plot to climb onto the suspension bridge.Around 20 fathers gathered at the pub to find out just how the campaign group plans to move forward.

Mr O'Connor said: "Bristol is a powerhouse for F4J. The guys out here are far more motivated and we just seem to have a natural home here."For more information about F4J visit fathers-4-justice.org.

Who is painting our postboxes

The riddle of why postboxes in north Bristol have been repainted by vandals in a number of colours has left Royal Mail staff scratching their heads. The red pillar boxes have been given the bizarre makeover in four locations in the Bishopston and Ashley Down area with two being repainted purple, one painted yellow and one green.When the purple postboxes were discovered on Friday, it was thought that

Fathers 4 Justice was responsible as purple is the colour of the group's campaign for equal rights for fathers to see their children following separation.But a group spokesman told the Evening Post yesterday he was not aware of any involvement.The two purple postboxes are at Ashley Down Road and at Kennington Avenue, Bishopston. The yellow one is at Ashley Hill.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "These are acts of vandalism and we have reported them to the police.We have arranged for them to be repainted within the week.

"Jeff Skinner was the co-ordinator of a high-profile F4J stunt on February 2, 2004, when protesters dressed as Batman, Robin, Spiderman and Superman scaled the Clifton Suspension Bridge.F4J later split and Mr Skinner helped launch the Real Fathers 4 Justice group but is now preparing to help relaunch F4J in Bristol.He said: "We are aware of the boxes being painted and

I understand why people think it is us."The colour purple is our campaign colour as it is the European colour of equality and equality is what we campaign for."It is always difficult to say if something is 100 per cent not done by F4J, as someone could have done it without telling us."But I have spoken to some of the groups members and no one is aware of it

Fathers launch next stage in fight

A Campaign group for fathers' rights, which made its name with high-profile stunts, is kick-starting its work with a meeting in Bristol.Fathers4Justice (F4J) will be re-launching its fight for equal rights for fathers later this month - and say it will come back "bigger and better".

The campaign group gained worldwide publicity after four members scaled the tower of the Clifton Suspension Bridge three years ago dressed as superheroes.Members went on to take part in similar protests at Buckingham Palace, the Big Brother House and court buildings.Fathers4Justice took a break from direct action for more than a year after founder

Matt O'Connor disbanded the group following allegations of a plot to kidnap the Prime Minister's son, Leo.

A breakaway group, the Real Fathers 4 Justice, had been set up six months earlier when rows were sparked within the original organisation over donations. Jason Hatch and Dave Pyke, who were involved in many of the superhero protests, were forced out and key Bristol members Jeff Skinner and Chris Hawkins resigned as a result.Differences have now been smoothed over and many of the members from the group's heyday will be returning for the first meeting at The Beaufort Hunt Pub, Downend Road, Downend on February 28 (7.30pm)

Fathers4Justice has found that 12 months away from active protests has done nothing to change the family law system they see as unfair. They are now out to "finish what they started" with new ideas and new members.

Mr Skinner said: "One of the things directed at F4J was that, while we were doing stunts and direct action, nothing would happen. We were told 'stop doing it and something will happen'."But nothing changed in the legal sense in the 12 months F4J had off.

Family courts are still secret - even a terrorist gets better rights than fathers. The court system is still providing lots of angry dads."We are going to come back bigger and better, stronger and a little more aware what we need to do than we were before."Anyone wanting to attend the February 28 meeting is asked to contact Mr Skinner on 07973 273 334 or send an email to mailto:office@fathers-4-justice.org.

Fighting for justice on the big screen

08:00 - 09 February 2007

They scaled the walls of Buckingham Palace and the Clifton Suspension Bridge, closed roads and motorways and handcuffed themselves to Government Ministers.But now the antics of the controversial Fathers 4 Justice campaigners are being developed into a movie by a subsidiary of Walt Disney.

Fathers 4 Justice confirmed the film project yesterday, as they invited fathers from across the West to join them in Bristol later this month for the launch of a new campaign for more rights for fathers.And they say the new protest could lead to more roads and bridges in the city being temporarily closed.

F4J is using the city as its national springboard for a tour of the UK in the coming weeks in the build up to what they have called Fathers 4 Justice Day in June.The organisation is about to launch a new campaign with a new theme and a wave of spectacular direct action protests on national and local landmarks.In London, on Father's Day, the group will launch its biggest national demonstration to date.

The group has also written what is being described by one journalist as a "highly inflammable" book on the secret Family Courts which is due to be published in May though Orion Books.

Yesterday, it emerged a film script about the campaign is due to be finished in March.The campaigners hope the film, being made by Walt Disney subsidiary Miramax Pictures in New York, will garner further publicity when it is eventually released.

Richard Adams, Somerset- based South-West co-ordinator, said yesterday: "The new campaign is a response to Government reforms that have been deliberately derailed and Department for Constitutional Affairs Minister Harriet Harman's refusal to enter talks with F4J.

"F4J founder Matt O'Connor said: "We accept the Government's rejection of talks as a formal invitation for us to resume our campaign of civil disruption against Britain's secret Family Courts."The Minister might think she can sweep the crisis in Family Law under the omnipresent cloak of secrecy.

"She might have thought that F4J had been assassinated last year after the Leo Blair kidnap story, but she'd be seriously mistaken. We're back. "Mr O'Connor is scathing about the courts, likening the treatment of fathers to that of terrorist suspects.

"They give fathers 'contact orders'. These aren't contact orders, these are control orders that control the movement and time dads spend with their children. They are given out in secret courts - just like terrorists,"
he said.IF the Family Courts are so great, what does the Government have to hide? What is so secret? F4J will keep asking the difficult questions - and people can draw their own conclusions."

Mr O'Connor will announce details of the campaign at the meeting on February 28 alongside Richard Adams, Nigel Ace and local stalwart Jeff Skinner, along with Buckingham Palace protester Jason Hatch and the three other "superheroes" from the Clifton Suspension Bridge protest.

The Likely dads

THE LIKELY DADS
Date : 07.02.07

Three years ago, four men dressed as superheroes climbed on to Clifton Suspension Bridge to protest against the family justice system. Vicki Mathias spoke to the Fathers 4 Justice protesters

AS superheroes, they are an unlikely bunch, but the four men who scaled Clifton Suspension Bridge in February, 2004, had big ideas about how fathers should be treated.

Rush-hour drivers crossing the bridge were confronted with the sight of Superman, Spiderman, Batman and Robin looking down on them. This was Fathers 4 Justice's first big stunt and it captured the media's attention all over the country.

They staged similar stunts over the next few months, including one at Buckingham Palace, but it was the suspension bridge protest that first highlighted the plight of the men campaigning to see their children.

We caught up with the dads three years on.

JASON Hatch, 34, now lives in Trowbridge, but was in Cheltenham in 2004 and fighting through the family courts to see his sons, aged 10 and eight, and his six-year-old daughter.

After the Clifton Suspension Bridge demonstration, the painter and decorator climbed on to a ledge at Buckingham Palace in another high-profile and controversial stunt.

He says: "The Clifton event was my first Batman protest. We were on the bridge for 27 hours in 70mph gusts of wind. It was the stunt that kickstarted Fathers 4 Justice.

"I got full access not long after the suspension bridge event. Without a doubt, being in Fathers 4 Justice helped.

"It's because I was in front of all the cameras and people said I could have got shot. That was a risk I was prepared to take. I know how much I love my children, and they were worth putting my life on the line."

MARK, 33, of Horfield, Bristol, is a surveyor and now sees his nine-year-old son regularly. He asked us to withhold his surname to protect his son's identity.

He says: "It took me three years to go through the courts, and at the last count I'd spent something like £55,000.

"I wasn't eligible for legal aid, while my ex-partner was, which was even more frustrating. I had no faith in the legal system whatsoever. We needed to do something to bring attention to the issue.

"The suspension bridge plan just seemed to happen. I was there, and got dragged along. I didn't think it would be widespread at all, but it went global.

"I'm quite a quiet, shy person and keep myself to myself. I really hadn't imagined myself ever doing something like that.

"I do still have the Spiderman outfit I wore to court. The police destroyed the original one."

OF the four bridge protesters, Pat Lennon is the only one who has not been able to win contact with his children. The 49-year-old, of Cheltenham, has been fighting to see his daughters, now 11 and 15, since 1999.

"I'm an unlucky one. It didn't actually work for me, but in the case of others it has helped raise awareness," says Pat, who works in home-shopping for a supermarket. "I'm allowed to write to my children once a month. I've never wanted to take the children off their mother. I just want to see them on a regular basis.

"I'm still a member of Fathers 4 Justice, and hoping to get more involved again. I wouldn't mind doing a bit more climbing.

"We had no idea of the impact it would have. Normally, I'm scared of heights, but I just thought I'd go for it. People were saying how good it was that we did it. At the time, it was like being famous."

DAVE Pyke, who lives just outside Cheltenham, also credits Fathers 4 Justice with helping him to get regular access to his daughter, 13, and son, nine.

The 51-year-old took part in both the suspension bridge and the Buckingham Palace stunts.

He says: "Seeing my kids was a direct result of the suspension bridge protest.

"Prior to that, I'd been messed around so many times.

"While exciting, it was a little scary as well. I'd never been in trouble with the police and never been arrested.

"I ended up being arrested a dozen times, and now I've got a criminal record and convictions for protesting, which is really unfortunate.

"Breaking the law was the only way I got what I should have had in the first place."

Stunts fail to win fathers real benefits

STUNTS FAILED TO WIN FATHERS REAL BENEFITS

10:40 - 02 February 2007

The members of Fathers 4 Justice managed one thing spectacularly well - they got considerable publicity for their cause.Their stunts, initially, had the merit of being quirky and original.And behind the super hero costumes was a serious message.These were men who were genuinely desperate to see their children. In many cases, following their protests, they did get access.

Ultimately disharmony reigned and their movement self-destructed.The low point was the powder-filled condom attack on Tony Blair in the House of Commons - a moment where absurdity engulfed this organisation and made it appear irresponsible.Its membership was disparate from the start, held together only by the common aim of wanting to see their children more. But while they may have had a single goal they had as many individual and conflicting demands as they had members.

They were united in having an indestructible love for their children and a searing sense of injustice.In the end, thanks to stunts like the occupation of the Clifton Suspension Bridge tower, their movement enjoyed a brief spell in the spotlight.It did at least prompt a debate and maybe stirred the consciences of some. But it did not achieve any lasting change.

The courts of this land who rule over the custody of children still favour mothers above fathers.And there is still a culture in our society where mothers and fathers are not considered equal as parents.

There are thousands of dads who are denied access to their children, who miss out on birthdays and Christmas and seeing their sons and daughters growing up.And there are many, many more whose time with their children is limited and who break their hearts every time they have to say goodbye.That is something that not even real super heroes could assuage.

Worried dads stage Father Christmas protest

Christmas came early in central Bristol when seven men dressed like Father Christmas staged a protest.

The men were Fathers 4 Justice campaigners, waving purple flags, blowing whistles, honking horns and leafleting members of the public outside the offices of CAFCASS - the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service - in Wilder Street.

Nigel Ace, the Bristol F4J coordinator, said: "All we ask for, quite simply, is for parents who separate to adopt a common sense approach and do what is best for their children."

The group held a banner which said: "It's a drag being a doubtfire dad" referring to the film Mrs Doubtfire in which Robin Williams got a job as his ex-wife's nanny in order to gain access to his children. F4J member Jolly Stanesby, who took part in the protest, dressed as a woman to attend a court case earlier this year.

Fathers 4 justice welcome Tory leader's backing for law change

The Fathers 4 Justice (F4J) group has spoken of its delight at comments made by Tory leader Michael Howard on the need for shared parenting.

The controversial group, with around 6,000 members, said its campaign to see a change in the family legal system was given a political push by Mr Howard. In response to the group's campaign, the Tory leader said this week: "With around four million children living apart from natural parents, it is important that those children enjoy contact with both parents as much as possible where that can be achieved.

"Too many non-resident parents are being failed by the system and deprived of the access to their children which they deserve and from which their children derive great benefit.

"The Conservative Party is determined to raise this problem up the political agenda and promote the rights and responsibilities of shared parenting." Jeff Skinner, co-ordinator of the Bristol branch of F4J, said: "This is exactly what we want - a political party recognising the need for change in the family law system. But we need action and the change needs to happen soon." Gary Burch, parliamentary co-ordinator for F4J, said: "The statement is long overdue but the awareness raised by our campaign is helping to create serious debate.

"Before F4J, nothing was happening. Now we have a Green paper due out any day, the leader of the opposition coming out in support of the cause, a Father's Day demo next Friday and our blueprint of family law in the 21st century published this week. Now we must make this a serious election issue."

Backing for campaign to scrap child support agency

Campaigners in the Bristol area are backing MPs who have called for the Child Support Agency to be scrapped unless it can turn around its performance within a matter of weeks. The Commons Work and Pensions Committee has said it could be years before the CSA is "fit for purpose" and urged ministers to start drawing up plans for an alternative. The committee also condemned moves to slash the agency's staff by 25 per cent while it tried to introduce a new computer system and still had a backlog of a quarter of a million cases. It called on the CSA to draw up contingency plans to be presented to MPs by Easter, in case the £456 million computer system cannot be made to work.

The CSA has been dogged by criticism and controversy ever since it was established in 1993.

Northavon MP Steve Webb said he had been receiving complaints about the CSA since he was elected eight years ago.

He called for the CSA to be scrapped and replaced with child support collected and enforced by the Inland Revenue.

Mr Webb said: "Years ago I came to the conclusion that it is a failed organisation and needs replacing. The degree of consensus among MPs is quite astonishing." Jeff Skinner, Bristol-based Fathers 4 Justice co-ordinator, said: "Every member of Fathers 4 Justice has a grudge against the CSA and dealing with them is a nightmare."

Misery goes on, say dads

Campaigning fathers in Bristol have slammed new government proposals to revise rules governing contact between parents and their children, saying the planned measures would not go far enough. Fathers 4 Justice said Labour's Parenting Plans, designed to help separated couples reach amicable agreements on sharing care of their children, will do nothing to help them gain access to their children.

The plans propose to give judges more sentencing powers when parents break access orders, including voluntary work and compensation to the other parents.

They also include encouraging parents to resolve problems without going to court and allowing parents who do not want to see each other to leave their child in a contact centre so the other parent can collect it.

Fathers 4 Justice have run a high-profile campaign over recent months to highlight the issue of access rights for fathers, with protests being staged at Buckingham Palace, the Clifton Suspension Bridge and a motorway gantry on the M4.

Bristol based Fathers 4 Justice spokesman Jeff Skinner said the plans were "half-hearted". He said: "They (the Government) keep on mentioning these small law changes, but what we need is radical reform, which is what Fathers 4 Justice is all about. These latest changes sound great to the general public, but to the man who has not seen his children for three years it does not mean anything. All the Government is trying to do is silence the crowd and hope the problem will go away. They won't admit this, but this is clearly a reaction to our campaigns over the last year.

"We have raised the profile of the problem, which affects thousands, if not, millions of people and we will not stop campaigning now." Shadow secretary of state Theresa May also said the plans "lacked any teeth".
She said: "I welcome the fact that the Government has recognised that there is a problem with the system but we feel the response is completely inadequate.

"What they are trying to do is just tinker with the current system. This is yet another spin offensive from a Government that is all talk, but fails to solve the problems affecting families. They use the right language, but these proposals do nothing to take people out of the misery of the family justice system." Fathers 4 Justice were angered when the government stopped short of giving parents equal access in a Green Paper published last July.

At present, parents who breach out-of-court orders can be fined, but sanctions are rarely imposed because they are not considered to be in a child's interest.

Fiona Pratt, a solicitor at Bristol-based Burroughs Day law firm and a spokeswoman for the solicitors' family law association Resolution, said tougher sanctions would be welcomed.

She added: "Resolution has a very strong belief that children should have an ongoing relationship with both parents, unless it is not in the interest of the child.

"The courts are not always the best way to resolve problems and Resolution would like to keep as many services out of court as possible. Where a court order is necessary, we believe new powers are needed to make tough penalties and these new sanctions would be a step in the right direction."

Batman & Robin are staging protest at the Council Offices on College Green

Batman & Robin are staging protest at the Council Offices on College Green in Bristol - NOV 30 2004

Dads' plan for festive chaos

Bristol: The group was set to campaign on College Green this afternoon and deliver Christmas cards to city solicitors.

Jeff Skinner, Bristol coordinator, said: "We'll be telling solicitors that it's time to put the father back into Christmas." Yesterday a woman and three men appeared before magistrates following the five-hour protest in which four people dressed as Santa Claus scaled a gantry over the Second Severn Crossing.

The M4 was closed in both directions

All four elected crown court trial and were granted bail.

F4J dads consider motorway disruption

Protesters from Fathers 4 Justice could disrupt traffic on the M4 and M5 as part of a nationwide civil disruption campaign this Christmas. The plan is one of those under consideration when F4J co-ordinators from across the UK meet in Shropshire this weekend to finalise plans for their campaign

Negotiations with Scotland Yard over an official Christmas demonstration have broken down.

The national F4J leadership says action could involve hundreds of members dressed as Father Christmas in "Santa sit-in" protests on the M25, M1, M6 and on the Dartford Crossing on December 18, the Saturday before Christmas.

Members of the Bristol branch of the group could also take part in a demonstration on the M4 and M5 if the day of action were to go ahead.
F4J said the protests would be the largest act of civil disobedience ever undertaken at Christmas to highlight the plight of dads denied access to their kids.

Jeff Skinner, Bristol F4J co-ordinator, said: "A representative from the Bristol group will be going to the meeting this weekend to discuss plans. We did talk about the possibility of demonstrating on the M4 and M5. But at the moment we're not sure if this will take place.

"We feel Tony Blair needs to listen not only to us but to the thousands of ordinary people who have agreed that a change in family law is needed." F4J founder Matt O'Connor said: "The meeting this weekend will involve planning of our next high-profile demonstration. They will, if successful, overshadow anything we have done before.

"It will have mums and dads across the country discussing one thing over their turkey and sprouts - Fathers 4 Justice and the children denied access to their dads this Christmas.

"Regrettably we have been unable to reach an agreement with the Met Police with regard to our main demonstration on December 18, so have pressed ahead with our own plans regardless of the consequences."

Bristol members of the campaigning group Fathers 4 Justice dressed up in Father Christmas costumes and joined a march in London today. About 70 local members travelled from Bristol on a double- decker bus this morning to take part in a demonstration to highlight the plight of fathers who are denied access to their children. They joined hundreds of other F4J members from around the UK who also travelled to London to march and sing carols.

The organisation is notorious for its outrageous stunts to grab media attention - including scaling the walls of Buckingham Palace and Clifton Suspension Bridge.

Bristol F4J co-ordinator Jeff Skinner said: "Today is all about a peaceful demonstration.

"We are not pulling our normal high-profile stunts."

Family's :500 for battling fathers

The family of a Bristol Fathers 4 Justice (F4J) member has given £500 to the campaign. Andy Stokes's relatives, who live in Canada, decided to donate the money as a show of support to the group.

They said they wanted the money to be put towards the court costs faced by the F4J suspension bridge protest superheroes.

Andy, aged 40, from Bradley Stoke, has not seen his two children for the last four years. They are now living in Spain with their mother and her new husband.

Andy's sister Susan Dunning, 47, spoke to the Evening Post from her home in Victoria, British Columbia, about why the family decided to hand over the money.

She said: "We wanted to do this in support of what Fathers 4 Justice are fighting for but also in memory of our mother who died in September.
"She supported the cause wholeheartedly as she was also unable to see her grandchildren.

"As a family we suffered through lack of contact with Andy's children but our suffering is, of course, nothing in comparison to Andy's.
"Our suffering is also unfortunately matched many thousands of times by the other fathers and family members who have had their children removed from their lives.

"It is only through the actions of F4J that change will come and the abusive family law system of the UK will be consigned into history.
"People may have different views about the F4J campaign, but if they didn't do what they do no one would have taken any notice.
"Recent history has shown that civil disobedience is ultimately what brings about change where injustice exists.

"When we heard about the demonstration on the Clifton Suspension Bridge we decided that we must do something to assist F4J keep up the fight." Mr Stokes, a project manager who works for a timber construction company in Melksham, said: "It's great that my family have chosen to do this but it's also because this issue has had a great effect on them too.
The £500 cheque was presented to the Bristol F4J group at a meeting in Downend.

Jeff Skinner, coordinator of the Bristol group, said: "We were absolutely over the moon to receive this generous donation. It shows that the campaign is being listened to by more and more people and most importantly that it's going international. I hope this means we can begin to work as a global community to fight the injustice felt by millions of people around the world."

Our readers back dads' rights group

EVENING Post readers have backed dads' rights group Fathers 4 Justice in its campaign for a change in family law.

Four out of five readers who responded to a telephone poll - launched in the Post on the day thousands of F4J members took to the streets of London - backed the group's campaign to raise the profile of fathers in the legal system.

Controversial tactics employed during the 18-month campaign have included bringing Bristol's traffic to a halt by scaling the Clifton Suspension Bridge, storming the offices of family solicitors, embarking on a hunger strike and pelting Tony Blair with purple flour-filled condoms during Prime Minister's Questions in Parliament.

News of Post readers' support was welcomed by the Bristol F4J group co-ordinator, Jeff Skinner.

He said: "I think the first thing the results tell us is that we are going about it the right way.

"We have grown so much over the last 18 months, and with it the awareness of what we are campaigning for and why has also grown significantly.

"We are pleased that Evening Post readers are behind us, as it means a lot to have public support.

"We've also had a lot of public support out on the campaigns and, when we tell people why we are doing it, they are always gobsmacked that the system can be so unfair. Bringing these issues to light has been long overdue and we now hope that further campaigns, coupled with F4J's Blueprint for Family Law reform, will see a positive change in the system." At a national Day of The Dad march in London on June 18, two days before Father's Day, members of the group handed their blueprint for family law through the security gates at Downing Street.

The 52-page document, making recommendations for wholesale changes to the way custody and contact cases are handled after the breakdown of relationships, took three years to draw up and marks the next step in the group's campaign. The Bristol Fathers4Justice group will hold their next meeting on July 12 at the Beaufort Hunt pub, Downend Road, Downend, from 7.30pm.

F4J welcomes new members and also to its Purplehearts group for mums, girlfriends, grandparents, friends and relatives affected by contact disputes.

For more information about Fathers4Justice and Purplehearts, visit www.fathers-4-justice.org" twww.fathers-4-justice.org

Fathers' group court roof protest

Fathers 4 Justice demonstrators are staging a rooftop protest at North Somerset Magistrates Court.
Members of the fathers' rights group are believed to have climbed on to the roof of the building in Weston-super-Mare at 4.20am on Wednesday.

The protestors are dressed in superhero costumes and police are on the scene.

Four members of the group were due to appear at the court on Wednesday, following a similar protest on the Clifton Suspension Bridge in February.

A spokesman for the group said: "We felt we ought to show support and sympathy for the situation they are in."

16 people arrested on Monday.

Two Fathers 4 Justice campaigners dressed as Batman and Robin were among 16 people arrested on Monday.

The pair had mounted a rooftop protest outside Bristol County Court where Buckingham Palace protester Jason Hatch was attending a hearing.

The men, a 34-year-old from Bristol, and a 52-year-old from west Wales, came down of their own accord.

However, two more protesters, including one in a Spiderman mask, remained on the roof for most of the afternoon.

Mr Hatch, from Cheltenham, staged a five-hour protest dressed as Batman on the balcony of Buckingham Palace last week.


One protester was dressed as Spiderman

The other people arrested include 60-year-old Carmen Taylor from Bristol, and the campaign group's founder Matt O'Connor.

Mrs Taylor said she was supporting her son, Nigel Clay, who said he was proud as his mother was placed into a police van after being arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass.

"My mother is an active grandma and sees how unfairly fathers are treated by the courts," he said.

Meanwhile, a Fathers 4 Justice campaigner in a Spiderman mask and another in a decontamination suit protested from the roof of the County Court.

The man in the decontamination suit was said to be there to "clean up" family law.

They remained there for the afternoon, before coming down by late evening, when they were arrested. 21 sept 2004

At least eight campaigners took part in a protest on the steps

Two Fathers 4 Justice campaigners dressed as Batman and Robin were arrested on Monday.

The pair had mounted a rooftop protest outside Bristol County Court where Buckingham Palace protester Jason Hatch was attending a hearing.

Avon and Somerset Police said the two men were arrested at 1030 BST on suspicion of aggravated trespass at Bristol County Court.

Nine other protesters were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass.

Mr Hatch, from Cheltenham, staged a five-hour protest dressed as Batman on the balcony of Buckingham Palace last week.

County Court

The other people arrested include 60-year-old Carmen Taylor from Bristol, and the campaign group's founder Matt O'Connor.

Mrs Taylor said she was supporting her son, Nigel Clay, who said he was
proud as his mother was placed into a police van after being arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass.

"My mother is an active grandma and sees how unfairly fathers are treated by the courts," he said.

Mr Clay, 40, from Bristol, said he had been to court eight times and been denied access to his eight-year-old daughter and six-year-old son and had not seen them for 16 months.

Meanwhile, a Fathers 4 Justice campaigner dressed as Spiderman and another in a decontamination suit protested from the roof of the County Court.

The man in the decontamination suit was said to be there to "clean up"family law.

Fathers' rights activists held after Batman court protest

SIXTEEN fathers’ rights activists were in police custody last night after another day of protests at a court building.

The protests took place outside Bristol’s crown and county courts where the man responsible for the "Batman" security breach at Buckingham Palace attended a hearing for a bitter custody battle.

Jason Hatch, who staged a five-hour protest at the palace last week, pledged to return to his campaign of scaling buildings.

Dressed in a suit over a Batman top, the 32-year-old from Cheltenham warned that he was already hatching another "conniving plan" and said his custody battle with his ex-wife had not been resolved at the hearing an1d he still had no contact with his children.

Among those detained outside the courts for offences including aggravated

trespass were 60-year-old grandmother Carmen Taylor, Fathers 4 Justice founder Matt O’Connor, and four supporters who staged a rooftop protest at the court which only ended when they came down in the evening.

Yesterday morning, a skirmish erupted between police and about 20 Fathers 4 Justice campaigners when one protester was refused entry to Bristol County Court.

Fathers 4 Justice target law firm

MEMBERS of the Bristol-based Fathers 4 Justice group stormed the offices of a law firm today to protest against the legal system.

The group of nine, which included two women supporters from the Fathers 4 Justice (F4J) sub-group The Purple Hearts, dressed in white boiler suits to target solicitors Foster and Partners in Corn Street this afternoon.

Seven angry fathers stormed the offices while the two women waved banners outside the building adjacent to St Nicholas Market.

The group waved placards and sounded blow horns in the law firm's office.

A gold painted petrol can was also handed to the firm, which a spokesman for the group said "signified the way the law firm was fuelling the misery of thousands of children who were being deprived of contact".

The protest, which started at 2.15pm, was organised with the stated aim "to decontaminate family law" and to highlight the continuing campaign by Fathers 4 Justice.

A spokesman for the group, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said:
"Today marks the start of a summer of civil disobedience in Bristol, which the group will be driving as a support to the national campaign. The protest today is to highlight the continual lack of progress made by the Government to change this country's archaic family law.

"We will not stand by and allow this situation to continue unchallenged."
Paul Foster, from Foster and Partners, who is also a member of the Children Panel Higher Courts Advocate, declined to make a comment to the Evening Post about the protest at his Corn Street office.

In March this year, Bristol members of F4J stormed the offices of solicitors Gregg Latchams Quinn in Queens Square.

They were also dressed in white boiler suits, which they said "symbolised a decontamination of the law system".

'Justice' dads get free night at the fair

A Group of campaigning fathers enjoyed some quality time with their children at a funfair in Bristol. David Wynn, who runs Mr Wynn's funfair, invited the Fathers 4 Justice (F4J) members for an evening of free fun to help them forget about their troubles. The group has hit the headlines with a series of high-profile protests over what they claim is a bias in the legal system against dads trying to gain access to their children after relationship breakdowns. This included a stunt which led to Clifton Suspension Bridge being closed to traffic for more than a day in February.

Bristol dads and others from Cheltenham, who have access to their children, spent an evening at the funfair, which is on Rodway Common in Mangotsfield until tonight.

Funfair owner Mr Wynn said he sympathised with the F4J cause and wanted to do something for the group.

The 65-year-old said: "I know one of the members of F4J and when I heard about his problems I thought it would be nice to do something for all of them.

"We often have charitable days where groups come to the fair for a fun day out.

"I support the fathers and their cause because I feel that everybody is entitled to justice. I wanted to give them the chance to enjoy an evening at the fair, where they could spend time with their children." Jeff Skinner, co-ordinator of the Bristol branch of F4J, said: "This was a very generous gesture, which was much appreciated."

We're being failed by the courts

A Fathers' rights campaigner has welcomed the comments by a senior judge who said the legal system is failing divorced dads. Jeff Skinner, the Bristol area co-ordinator of Fathers 4 Justice, said the judge had promoted the group's cause with his comments.

Mr Justice James Munby, a leading family judge, said he felt ashamed after dealing with a man who had fought unsuccessfully for five years to see his daughter.

He said there should be tougher penalties for mothers who do not let their former partners see their children at the agreed time and that there should be skilled social work intervention for children and warring parents.

Mr Skinner said: "What this judge has said is what we have been shouting from the rooftops for the past 18 months.

"Of course I welcome his comments as it promotes our cause.
"But I would also say that at the heart of this is a man who cannot see his children and my thoughts go out to him.

"The judge gave him a glowing reference but admitted that he could not do any more for him because of the way the system is discriminating against fathers." The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been forced to give up his five-year battle for access to his seven-year-old daughter after 43 court hearings.

His ex-wife had continually ignored orders allowing him contact with the child.

Mr Skinner said: "Any parent, whether it is a man or a woman, should pay the penalty for breaking the law.

"I just find it terrible that some poor bloke has to go through this, and be discriminated against like this." Justice Munby attacked the length of the case and the number of judges involved, 16 in 43 hearings, and has recommended that in future just one judge should deal with one case.
He said: "There is much wrong with our system and the time has come for us to recognise that fact and to face up to it honestly.

"If we do not, we risk forfeiting public confidence." He said the system made victims of the fathers more often than the mothers.

Protest dads Plan Campaign

Cheltenham Town's Whaddon Road ground and the home of Gloucester Rugby Club, Kingsholm, are both targets. Marches, demonstrations and protests are planned around the country in a bid to change family law so fathers have improved rights to see their children.

New members to the branch were welcomed at the Aviator Pub at Gloucestershire Airport where around 25 fathers and their relations gathered. It was the first meeting of the county group.

The meeting follows a protest in which three Cheltenham men and a dad from Bristol staged a 26-hour demonstration on Clifton Suspension Bridge.

Police were forced to close the road to traffic and two Cheltenham men were arrested.

Jason, who did not to reveal his surname, of Alstone Mews, and Dave Pyke, of The River Leys, were released on police bail until March 17.
While they were being questioned officers raided the two men's homes, taking papers, mobile phones and computers.

Fellow member Russell Griffin revealed plans for future demonstrations at the branch meeting.

In the coming weeks the angry dads plan to hand out leaflets and display banners at both Whaddon Road and Kingsholm.

Jason said: "Weekends are the most likely time that dads are out with their children and they often go to this sort of event so we could pick up some more members." If given permission, a group of fathers dressed in the trademark superhero costumes intend going on the Whaddon Road pitch at half-time.

In May a group will go to the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Services offices in Gloucester to hold a sit down demonstration. They will be dressed in Bob the Builder outfits and plan to arrive in a digger.

At the county meeting, the Gloucestershire branch asked for volunteers for treasurer, secretary, logistics and a parliamentary co-ordinator.
Russell said: "We've started some protests and got the ball rolling but we have to keep the pressure on and that is what we intend to do." New member Adnan from Cheltenham said: "I've just joined the group and they have been wonderful, it will certainly go from strength to strength." Jeff Skinner, a protest organiser who attended the meeting said: "It's absolutely fantastic.We're a big family and where we offer support we get it in return." Another man who travelled from Bristol summed up the group. He said: "I've won my court case for access to my children but I'm here because I won't stop fighting to help others and prevent my son getting in the same situation." Since Fathers4Justice started in December 2002 its 200 members have increased to 6,000 nationally. In Gloucestershire there are 35 so far.

The Clifton Suspension Bridge protest attracted more than 1,200 new members.

The next meeting at the Aviator pub will be held at 7.30pm on March 4.

Aggrieved dads stage bridge protest

Four members of pressure group Fathers-4-Justice have staged a protest on the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol.

The four men climbed on to a support at the Leigh Woods end of the bridge on Monday morning dressed as Batman, Robin, Superman and Spiderman.

At 0530 GMT, they unveiled a banner reading: "Fathers-4-Justice, Fighting for the right to see your kids."

Spokesman Jeff Skinner said the men apologised for any inconvenience to commuters who were denied access to the bridge.

"We and thousands of other fathers in this country are denied access to our children every day by this country's archaic family laws," he said." We apologise or any inconvenience but we haven't seen our children for years " "Jason"

The protesters said they would be staying for the "foreseeable future", despite the poor weather.

The bridge has been closed to traffic, although not pedestrians.
On Monday afternoon, one of the four men - dressed as Superman - came down from the bridge and left the protest.

Last week another Fathers-4-justice member carried out a similar protest on Plymouth's Tamar bridge which lasted seven days.

It is thought that as many as 15 members of Fathers-4-Justice met in Bristol on Monday from the west Country, coming from Cheltenham, Swindon, Lyme Regis, Worcester, Gloucester and Bristol.

One of the protesters, who gave his names as Jason, said: "We apologise or any inconvenience but we haven't seen our children for years."We've been fighting the law courts but getting absolutely nowhere."

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said: "All efforts are being made to peacefully resolve the situation as quickly as possible, though there is no indication of when the protest will end."

On Monday, Fathers-4-Justice issued a statement saying that today's protests were the start of a "full-scale national campaign of civil disruption".
Fathers' group promises further protests
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A group campaigning for fathers' rights has warned that a series of protests on bridges is "just the start" of a nationwide campaign of civil disruption.

Several members of Fathers 4 Justice climbed bridges and gantries in Bristol, London and Newcastle on Monday, causing widespread traffic disruption.

Bristol's Clifton Suspension Bridge remained closed to traffic on Monday night, after three protesters dressed as cartoon super-heroes remained on it.One protester also remained on a gantry above the westbound carriageway of the A13 in east London, although the road stayed open.

Four other protesters were arrested in London after climbing gantries across the M4 and A40 and at the Blackwall Tunnel.

" All motorists have been denied access to the Suspension Bridge this morning as all our members are denied access to their children " Jeff SkinnerFathers 4 Justice
In the Bristol protest, four men dressed as Batman, Superman, Spiderman and Robin unveiled banners reading: "Fathers 4 Justice Fighting for your right to see your kids."

By Monday night, one of the protesters had left the bridge but the other three pledged to sit tight despite bad weather.

Spokesman Jeff Skinner said: "It's cold and it's wet but we are staying put and are not giving up. We will be here for the foreseeable future."
Mr Skinner said the men wanted to raise awareness of the "unfair" system of child access.

"All motorists have been denied access to the Suspension Bridge... as all our members are denied access to their children," he said.

An Avon and Somerset police spokesman said: "All efforts are being made to peacefully resolve the situation as quickly as possible, though there is no indication of when the protest will end."

In London, one man was arrested after protesting on a gantry above the A40 in west London, while another two were arrested after they protested on a gantry above the entrance to the Blackwall Tunnel in east London, which was shut northbound for a time as a result.

The fourth was arrested after protesting on a gantry above an elevated section of the M4.

The westbound carriageway of the A13 near Prince Regents Lane, where the fifth protester remains, was reopened after having been closed for some time during the day.

Fathers 4 Justice said it was planning to disrupt roads, railways and courts in a campaign of "widespread civil disobedience".

Spokesman Matt O'Connor said his members were ready to go to jail in their campaign of peaceful protest.

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Four members of the protest group Fathers 4 Justice have been convicted of public order offences and given conditional discharges.

Jason Hatch, 32, Patrick Lennon, 47, David Pyke, 48, all of Cheltenham and Mark Peacock, 31, of Bristol, appeared at North Somerset Magistrates' Court.
Bristol's Clifton Suspension Bridge was closed to traffic and pedestrians on 2 February during the protest.

The men were also ordered to pay costs of £250.

They were found guilty under Section Five of the Public Order Act of behaviour that caused harassment, alarm or distress.Passing sentence, District Judge Martin Brown, said: "It was unreasonable of you to remain on the bridge for so long.

"It follows that the irresponsible attitude expressed by the defendants infringed on the rights of others."

The four accepted that they had taken part in the demonstration, but denied offences under the Public Order Act.

Fathers' access battle boosted

Bristol fathers fighting for greater access to their children have welcomed a high court judge's attack on the legal system. Mr Justice Wall, who sits in the family division at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, voiced his concerns after dealing with a dispute involving a 12-year-old boy known only as 'O'. He called for a public debate on the issue of access after a father gave up a six-year fight to see his son.

In a written statement, Mr Justice Wall said: "The court system for dealing with contact disputes has serious faults. In particular, the court process is stressful for both parents and children, expensive, slow and adversarial. It tends to entrench parental attitudes rather than encouraging them to change." Jeff Skinner, spokesman for the newly-formed Bristol branch of Fathers 4 Justice, said the comments were promising and hoped they would inspire other prominent legal figures in Bristol to follow suit.

He said: "There are a number of people who have said they feel there needs to be a change in the legal system. I'm hoping the high court judge's comments will encourage them to come forward.
"Fathers 4 Justice in Bristol are fully confident that the law will change, and we will continue our campaign until it does.

The Bristol branch was set up to back the fight for better treatment of fathers in custody cases following divorces or separations.
The pressure group's first meeting this week attracted more than 30 fathers.

Mr Skinner said: "The group wants to see a change in the law but we are also here to support each other." The branch will meet again on Monday January 12 at the Beaufort Inn, Downend Road, Downend. For more information, call Jeff Skinner .