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'''Fathers 4 Justice''' (or '''F4J''') began as a [[Fathers rights|fathers’ rights]] organisation in the [[United Kingdom]]. The United Kingdom branch was temporarily disbanded in [[January 2006]], following reports of an alleged plot by members to kidnap the son of then Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]]. Three months later, in May 2006, the group reformed and protested during the live broadcast of the [[BBC]] lottery show "The National Lottery: Jet Set". |
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==Origins== |
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[[Image:Matt O'Connor.jpg|thumb|right|[[Matt O'Connor]]]] |
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Fathers 4 Justice was founded by [[Matt O'Connor]], a marketing consultant and father. O'Connor had become incensed with [[family law]] after a court barred him from seeing his young sons outside of a [[contact centre]], following separation from his wife in 2000. On [[17 December]] [[2002]], O'Connor and a small group of supporters staged their first protest by storming the [[Lord Chancellor's Office]] dressed as [[Father Christmas]]. In January 2003 O'Connor officially founded Fathers 4 Justice. Initially the group targeted the homes of [[family court]] judges and family lawyers' homes and offices with traditional protests. |
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From the onset, they championed the cause of equal parenting, family law reform and equal contact for divorced parents with children. F4J protestors interrupted the UK national lottery draw in May 2006. F4J is well-known for its campaigning techniques of dramatic protest stunts, usually dressed as comic book superheroes and frequently scaling public buildings, bridges and monuments. |
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On [[21 October]] [[2003]], campaigners Eddie Gorecki and Jolly Stanesby scaled the [[Royal Courts of Justice]], dressed respectively as Batman and Robin.<REF name="Batman">{{cite web | date = [[2003-10-21]] | title = Rooftop protest by 'caped crusaders' | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3209640.stm | format = HTML | publisher = BBC News | accessdate = 2006-06-03}}</ref> The following day, the group’s members rallied through London around a military tank in solidarity with Goreckwi and Stanesby.<REF name="Tank">{{cite web | date = [[2003-10-22]] | title = Rally over fathers' rights | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3212448.stm | format = HTML | publisher = BBC News | accessdate = 2006-06-03}}</ref> |
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A significant escalation in the protesting style occurred nine days later when group member David Chick scaled a {{convert|120|ft|m}} crane near Tower Bridge, London dressed as [[Spider-Man]]. The [[Metropolitan Police]] set up a cordon around the area that disrupted traffic through some of East London for several days.<ref name="Spider Protest">{{cite web | date = [[2003-11-03]] | title = Spiderman cordon criticised | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3236541.stm | format = HTML | publisher = BBC News | accessdate = 2006-06-03}}</ref> Chick was subsequently cleared<REF name="Spider protest">{{cite news |title = Spider-Man cleared after police tactics are revealed |publisher = The Times |page = Pg 5 |date = [[May 15]] [[2004]]}}</ref> and published a ghost-written autobiography in February 2006. |
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Fathers 4 Justice founded branches in the [[Netherlands]] and [[Canada]] in 2004, and in the [[USA]] and [[Italy]] during 2005. |
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==Activities== |
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The protest form that has most characterised Fathers 4 Justice has been its members dressing as comic book superheroes and other easily recognisable characters to scale public buildings and monuments. Stunts included supporters storming courts dressed in Father Christmas outfits, clapping the Government's ‘Children’s Minister’ in handcuffs, and most notably group member Jason Hatch climbing onto [[Buckingham Palace]] dressed as [[Batman]]. Such activities have earned the group a place in popular culture. For example, two costumed superheroes were mistaken for father's rights activists in the 2005 short comedy movie, ''[[Spider-Plant Man]]''. A fathers' rights group seemingly satirising Fathers 4 Justice appears in [[Will Self]]'s 2006 novel [[The Book of Dave]]. Members of the group, which is hijacked by extremists, end up swinging from London monuments dressed as statues of historical characters including [[Henry VIII]], [[Thomas More]] and the [[Burghers of Calais]]. |
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F4J's campaigning policy has always been that its organised publicity stunts and protests should be humorous, non-violent, and ultimately harmless. The group advocated non-violent protests aiming to cause disruption rather than damage. The choice of the superhero costumes was based on the claim that "fathers have the role of superhero in the lives of children". Protests have not been restricted simply to fathers, as female supporters have adopted similar disguises and joined in the protests. |
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Protests of a similar nature occurred outside the United Kingdom, a protest by a member dressed as [[Robin (comics)|Robin the Boy Wonder]] was held for twelve hours on the [[Pattullo Bridge]] in [[Vancouver, British Columbia|Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]], [[Canada]]. On [[6 May]] [[2005]] the group made headlines again after a member dressed as [[Superman]] climbed up scaffolding in Old City Hall in [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]] to unfurl a banner. |
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On [[May 20]], [[2006]], a group of Fathers 4 Justice campaigners interrupted the broadcast of the UK [[National Lottery]] programme on [[BBC One]], delaying it for a few minutes before the live draw was resumed. |
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On Sunday December 10, 2006 Fathers-4-Justice US staged a re-enactment of the [[Boston Tea Party]], titled the 'Boston "Custo-Tea" Party' in protest at perceived corruption in the family court system in which lawyers provoke battles between parents over custody of children for profit. |
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On Sunday June 8, 2008 two fathers from Father's for Justice UK climbed onto the roof of Labour deputy leader [[Harriet Harman]]'s house wearing superhero-style costumes.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7442435.stm] |
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==Flour bombing== |
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On [[19 May]] [[2004]], a [[Fathers 4 Justice House of Commons protest#House of Commons protest|major alert]] was caused when two members of the group threw purple flour bombs at [[Tony Blair]] during [[Prime Minister's Questions]] at the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]].<REF name="Flour attack">{{cite web | date = [[2004-05-19]] | title = Blair hit during Commons protest | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3728617.stm | format = HTML | publisher = BBC News | accessdate = 2006-06-03}}</ref> |
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This protest, along with a purple powder attack on the [[Liberal Democrats|Liberal Democrat]] candidate in the 2004 Hartlepool by-election, [[Jody Dunn]], appeared to signal a departure from the group's declared profession of nonviolence. Following the House of Commons incident [[The Times]] wrote that the group "has succeeded in becoming the most prominent [[guerrilla warfare|guerrilla]] pressure group in Britain ... within eighteen months of its founding." |
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==Internal strife== |
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In November 2005, the group received negative publicity when the prime-time ITV programme ''[[Tonight (TV series)|Tonight With Trevor McDonald]]'' exposed some of its members as violent and obnoxious in their behaviour. However, it was claimed that these were never members in the first place and the program gave no right to reply. Some members were expelled but the organisation defended its position and attacked the documentary. On [[23 November]] [[2005]], Fathers 4 Justice ended its truce with CAFCASS and the [[Child Support Agency]], calling for a public inquiry into family law. |
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==F4J temporarily disbands== |
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During January 2006 the British newspaper ''[[The Sun (newspaper)|The Sun]]'' published a story in which it claimed that members on the fringes of Fathers 4 Justice planned to kidnap [[Leo Blair]], the young son of former [[Prime Minister]] [[Tony Blair]] 'for a few hours as a symbolic gesture'. The Police said that they were not aware of such a plan, but probably it had never got beyond 'the chattering stage'.<ref name=kidnap>{{cite web | date = [[2006-01-18]] | title = Police aware of 'Leo kidnap plot' | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4622880.stm | format = HTML | publisher = BBC News | accessdate = 2006-06-03}}</ref> [[Downing Street]] refused to confirm or deny the existence of a plot as it does not comment on matters concerning the Prime Minister's children. |
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Fathers 4 Justice founder Matt O'Connor condemned the alleged action and threatened to shut down the campaign. Within days, Fathers 4 Justice had been disbanded.<ref name=disband>{{cite web | date = [[2006-01-18]] | title = Fathers 4 Justice to end campaign | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4626106.stm | format = HTML | publisher = BBC News | accessdate = 2006-06-03}}</ref> |
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==Reformation== |
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On [[May 20]] [[2006]], Fathers 4 Justice protested during the showing of the [[BBC]] lottery show "[[The National Lottery]]: Jet Set". The show had to be taken off-air for several minutes after six Fathers 4 Justice protesters ran from the audience onto the stage displaying posters.<ref name="Lottery Protest">{{cite web|date=[[2006-05-20]]|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5001386.stm |title=Lottery show delayed by protest|format=HTML|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2006-05-20}}</ref> The protesters were soon removed from the studio and the lottery draws continued as usual, albeit rushed so the show finished in time for the annual [[Eurovision Song Contest]]. A spokesman for the group stated afterwards, "Tonight marks the dramatic return of Fathers 4 Justice". |
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There was no widely publicised further action until [[29 November]] of that year, when veteran campaigner Jonathan Stanesby climbed onto the roof of family court Judge David Tyzack's home, dressed as Santa Claus. The story was publicised after Stanesby claimed the judge was holding a shotgun. Judge Tyzack, however, retorted that he had taken the gun out thinking the noise on the roof was a bird.<ref name="DM061128">Luke Salkeld, [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=419287&in_page_id=1770 Fathers rights rooftop protestor accuses judge of aiming gun], [[Daily Mail]], [[November 28]] [[2006]]. Retrieved [[March 15]] [[2008]].</ref> Stanesby explained to reporters he was still restricted to seeing his daughter one weekend every two weeks. |
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==Impact== |
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Fathers 4 Justice's main impact remains upon media coverage and legal treatment of fathers' rights issues in the UK. The use of high-profile and disruptive stunts has garnered significant UK media coverage. Matt O'Connor has sold the rights to his story to [[Harbour Pictures]], the firm behind the film "[[Calendar Girls]]"{{Fact|date=February 2007}}. It has been written by Shameless writer Danny Brocklehurst. |
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A significant, unintended result of the F4J campaign has been the exposure of flaws in security at high profile British institutions such as [[Buckingham Palace]] and the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]], at a time when the British government is particularly concerned with the threat of terror attacks by [[al-Qaeda]]-affiliated groups. |
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==Criticism== |
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Critics of the organisation claim that the inequalities which F4J claim to fight against are exaggerated. <ref>{{cite news | date = [[2006-05-08]] | author = [[Decca Aitkenhead]] | title = The sins of the father | url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1770011,00.html | format = HTML | publisher = The Guardian | accessdate = 2006-06-07}}</ref> |
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Members of the group are also alleged to have conducted a variety of intimidating attacks in order to terrorize court staff and family lawyers. These attacks include throwing purple (the group's colour) paint on the outside of [[CAFCASS]] buildings, pushing rotten meat/fish through letterboxes, sending fake bombs, hate mail and verbal abuse. [[NAPO]] (the union for CAFCASS staff) have compiled a file of the incidents. Fathers 4 Justice have admitted to incidents involving CAFCASS property but deny involvement in the harassment of individuals. During protests outside CAFCASS offices individual case workers were identified by name in a similar style to [[animal rights]] protesters.<ref>{{cite news | date = [[2004-11-22]] | author = John Elliott and Abul Taher | title = Fathers 'terrorise' lawyers | url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1367633,00.html | format = HTML | publisher = The Sunday Times | accessdate = 2006-06-04}}</ref> |
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==See also== |
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* [[Bob Geldof]] — fathers' rights leader and F4J supporter |
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* [[Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service]] |
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* [[Children]] |
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* [[Child Support Agency|Child Support Agency (CSA)]] |
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* [[Child custody]] |
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* [[Department for Constitutional Affairs]] |
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* [[Families Need Fathers]] |
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* [[Family]] |
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* [[Family law]] |
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* [[Fathers' rights]] |
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* [[Fathers' rights movement in the UK]] |
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* [[Parental alienation]] |
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* [[Parental alienation syndrome]] |
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* [[Parenting]] |
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* [[Parenting plan]] |
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* [[Pressure groups in the United Kingdom]] |
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* [[Shared parenting]] |
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==References== |
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<references/> |
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==External links== |
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* [http://www.fathers-4-justice.org/ Fathers 4 Justice - Official Website (UK)] |
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* [http://www.fathers-4-justice-canada.ca Fathers-4-Justice Canada] |
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* [http://http://www.f4jusa.com Fathers-4-Justice US] |
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===In the news=== |
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<div class="floatright"> |
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<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:Santa03.jpg|none|thumb|230px|On [[17 December]] [[2002]], Fathers 4 Justice stages its first demonstration - a raid on the offices of the Lord Chancellor's Department by 200 Father Christmases campaigning to 'Save Father Christmas'. An hour long occupation of the lobby ended when Amanda Finlay, Director of Public and Private Rights for the UK accepted a Christmas card on behalf of the Lord Chancellor from F4J which showed him dressed as Scrooge.]] --></div> |
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* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5001386.stm Lottery show delayed by protest] |
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* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4905836.stm Fathers' rights group scale abbey] [[13 April]] [[2006]] |
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* [http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/geldof%20blasts%20critics%20of%20fathers%20for%20justice Bob Geldof supports Fathers for Justice calling them heroic after critics attack their leadership]. [[27 May]] [[2005]] |
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* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/4382277.stm Easter 2005 St Paul's Cathedral demo] [[25 March]] [[2005]] |
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* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tyne/4256219.stm Labour Party Conference demo] [[11 February]] [[2005]] |
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* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml;sessionid=QO4UTSBRBK25RQFIQMFSNAGAVCBQ0JVC?xml=%2Fportal/exclusions/supplements/greatbritons04/ixbritons.xml&_requestid=9170 F4J founder nominated for 2004 Great Briton Award] [[24 January]] [[2005]] |
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* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ican/A2830637 BBC iCan: Fathers' rights] [[July 12]] [[2004]] |
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[[Category:Fathers' rights]] |
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[[Category:Men's rights organizations]] |
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[[Category:Family and parenting issues groups in the United Kingdom]] |
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[[Category:Vote Bank]] |
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[[Category:Gender Discrimination in Democracy]] |
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Revision as of 11:39, 19 June 2008
How dare you write about leicestershire in this way FUCK FUCK CRAP ANAL MORlEY WANT ANAL