Militant fathers' group finally hangs up its superhero outfits
Sunday Herald, The,
Jun 19, 2005
by Jenifer Johnston
THE head of controversial campaign group Fathers 4 Justice has vowed
to halt the campaign of stunts that has brought notoriety to the
group.
Matt O'Connor told the Sunday Herald: "We must become more
legitimate, and that is going to happen from today."
He said the group will no longer sanction occupations of bridges or
landmark buildings.
Members of the group, dressed as various superheroes' have, in the
past, scaled the balcony of Buckingham Palace, the roof of the
Scottish parliament at Holyrood, Tower Bridge and St Paul's Cathedral.
Two protesters caused a major security alert last year when they
threw condoms filled with purple powder at Prime Minister Tony Blair
during a debate in the House of Commons.
O'Connor said: "I want Fathers 4 Justice to move forward. I don't
want the campaign, which has kicked off a national debate about equal
parenting, to descend into parody.
"There was a danger that the superhero campaigning style was passing
its sell-by date."
Some 12,000 people, including more than 500 women, have signed up to
F4J since it began its campaign for improved paternal rights three
years ago. The group now has branches in the US, Canada, and the
Netherlands.
O'Connor began talks last week with the Children and Family Court
Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) for England and Wales in an
attempt at conciliation.
He said: "We will be in close negotiation for the next few months
with Cafcass, and in the future I want to work more closely with
those agencies.
"We are fighting for the rights of fathers to see their children, and
I see the way forward as pressing for changes in the law, not
handcuffing ourselves to posts."
Several members of the group have condemned him for "collaborating"
with government agencies, and have threatened to start a hardcore
protest group in response.
O'Connor said he would be "delighted" if the hardcore element split
from the group as it would "let us get on with the changes we now
want to make."
He added: "I am concerned, however, that if legislative changes
around family law aren't delivered then the frustration felt by some
members will go on and the darker underbelly of the group will grow."
Tolerance of the publicitygenerating protests has diminished amid
fears over public safety and the inconvenience caused by the
occupations.
After months of rumours about a large-scale demonstration, the
operators of the Forth Road Bridge were granted a Court of Session
interdict in January preventing Fathers 4 Justice activists scaling
the structure and hanging banners over the carriageway.
Scottish co-ordinator Brian McNair, who was charged with breach of
the peace after protesting on the roof of the Scottish parliament in
November last year, said he believes there are Scottish members who
will want to carry out direct action.
"Like any group, there are people here who want to make a splash,
borne of frustration at a system that prevents them seeing their
children. But, overall, I think our members are OK with waiting to
see what happens for a while."
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