Last week, Fathers 4 Justice was closed down by its founder. Immediately after the closure, several key members of F4J have set up "New Fathers 4 Justice".
As our first demo, we shall be protesting outside the Labour MP, Dawn Primarolo Health Ministers office in Bristol.
The MP and the labour Government, were under scrutiny in May for pushing ahead with the Human Embryology and IVF bill. This was because the "need for a father" was controversially dismissed by Primarolo and the Labour Government.
When responding to Tory shadow Health Minister's Mark Simmonds demand for "male role models", Primarolo was quoted saying "that would create an additional hurdle" for lesbian couples and single women.
"It is the government's view that all parents accessing treatment would assume to be supportive parents unless there was evidence to the contrary," she said.
Nigel Ace, who will front the demonstration on Friday September 19 th, said " This stance by the Health Minister flies in the face of good, proper and traditional foundations of raising children. We want them to focus on getting real Dads in the family, not artificial ones!!"
Mr. Ace who was a recent roof top protester on Harriet Harman's roof will be joined by many "NEW F4J "supporters including Mark Harris, Tony Ashby and Jolly Stanesby, all of whom protested on Harman's roof also. "We urge Dads who are not seeing their kids to join us on our first New F4J demo, so they can meet Dads who are in the same boat" We need to give Dads a chance in society today and this will be the first of many by us". We are hear to change the law and attitudes towards Dads"
I am writing with reference to the article in August 21st edition "family lawyer joins firm".
I object to the portrayal by this family law firm of making themselves sound as if they are the rescuers of family and matrimonial breakdown. Being a member of Fathers 4 Justice and a recent protester on Harriet Harman's roof and having been through the family court system myself, I would like every reader to be aware that its the lawyers that are the only winners in family court cases.
I have spoken to judges, MP's, barristers and solicitors and they openly admit that the whole system is adversarial. Being adversarial therefore, causes delay, which in turn profits the lawyers and costs the parents more money and heartbreak.
The worst part of it, is that its the children that are the biggest losers. It is these lawyers that goad their clients into a protracted and long winded and in most cases, wholly unnecessary fight in the family courts. In my case, which compared to most Dads from F4J was mild, I fought for 2 1/2 years as a litigant in person. In the end, I was found out to be a loving, devoted Dad. It cost my Daughter 2 1/2 years of not being able to see her Dad and for that alone, the actions of these lawyers is reprehensible. Batman, who was with me on Harmans roof hasn't seen his kids for 8 years!!
I would also like to point out that the legal aid system needs re looking at, as it allows spiteful Mums, who wish to prevent contact, carry on with false accusation after another. Father 4 Justice promote " two parents are better than one". To the Government, we want the following 4 measures of reform:
WE WANT:
1. TO HAVE AN AUTOMATIC PRESUMPTION OF 50/50 CONTACT WHEN PARENTS SPLIT
2.OPEN COURTS, to be brought in line with the crown and magistrates courts.
3.COMPULSORY MEDIATION BEFORE THE COURT PROCESS,not after
4.ENFORCE COURT ORDERS. A 3 strikes and your're out policy would be a great detterent against uncooperative mothers. On the 3 rd strike , residence would be swopped to the father or from whoever has deliberately broken the court order.
A Father has been holding a roof-top protest at the London home of Labour Party deputy leader Harriet Harman.
Nigel Ace, from Swansea, was part of a two-man demonstration staged by campaign group Fathers 4 Justice at the property in Herne Hill yesterday.
Sales manager Mr Ace, aged 40, now lives in North Somerset, but was born in Gower and has a primary school age daughter, who still lives with her mother near Swansea.
Mr Ace, who took to the roof dressed as Spiderman, said he and his fellow protester, 42-year-old Tony Ashby from Leicester, who was dressed as Batman, were staging the protest following Ms Harman's recent promises over equality in the workforce.
Mr Ace 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, Gordon Brown should come.
"I am trained in survival, so I don't care how long we are up here."
It is the second protest at Ms Harman's south London home by members of Fathers 4 Justice in just over a month.
Officers from Scotland Yard were called to the home of the Minster for Women at 6.20am yesterday, where Mr Ace and Mr Ashby unfurled a banner on the roof declaring "Stop the war on dads".
The pair are said to have at least three days' supply of food and water.
According to Fathers 4 Justice, Mr Ace had regular contact with his daughter following the breakdown of his marriage until his former wife withdrew access, leading to a battle in the family courts which has lasted two-and-a-half years.
They say two expert reports concluded he was a loving father who posed no risk to his daughter, and that Mr Ace and his elderly parents just want to play a meaningful role in his daughter's life.
A spokesman for Fathers 4 Justice said: "In the way women campaigned for equal rights in the workplace, we want equal rights in the home and to our children.
"Our government and Harriet Harman are legally, morally obliged to deliver."
Two men who staged a similar protest on Ms Harman's home last month were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and causing a public nuisance, and were bailed by police until July 16 pending further inquiries.
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.
Harman claimed after the first protest(see mark harris's and jolly stanesby blogs)that fathers 4 justice hadn't tried to contact her. Here is the evidence to the contrary.
Please also see a song that Queen has dedicated to you.
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 group in 'graffiti' paint stunt besides M5 at Burnham Controversial campaign group Fathers 4 Justice has carried out two 'graffiti' paint stunts on land besides the M5 motorway in Burnham-On-Sea this week.
The high-profile group, which is renowned for its publicity-seeking tactics, has spray-painted its name over two sets of farmyard silage bags at two sites north and south of junction 22 of the M5 motorway at Burnham, as pictured here.
Sedgemoor District Council has strict rules on advertising hoardings next to roads, but it says that its regulations do not cover this type of 'graffiti' - even though it is so highly visible to motorists.
Spokeswoman Claire Faun told Burnham-On-Sea.com: "It's difficult for us to act as Fathers 4 Justice appears to have done this without the consent of the landowner."
"We can only take action where landowners have breached planning conditions by taking money and given their consent to advertising hoardings being located on their land. In this case, this appears to be graffiti."
A surprised spokeswoman for land owner Bill Hancock, whose land is at one of the two sites, said she was unaware of the attack when Burnham-On-Sea.com contacted her this week.
"We didn't know this had happened and are naturally very unhappy about it," she said.
