Fathers 4 Justice blockade threat

26th November 2007
By Sam Rkaina 

 

South Wales Argus

PROTEST group Fathers 4 Justice has threatened to "close Wales down" by blocking all traffic on both Severn Bridges.

The activists group that campaigns for fathers' rights was allegedly due to stage a protest on the old Severn Bridge at Chepstow on Saturday morning, but it failed to take place after a conversation with the Argus on Friday night.

A Fathers 4 Justice member claimed the protest would probably not take place because the special branch were "monitoring this call" and he didn't want to tip them off.   Now the group's founder Matt O'Connor is threatening potentially hugely disruptive direct action, sometime this week.

The claim was made after a meeting between Fathers 4 Justice members and Welsh and Work and Pensions Secretary Peter Hain MP on Friday didn't go according to plan.

The group had previously threatened to attack Mr Hain's home, handcuff him, superglue his door locks and scale his roof, but called this off when they agreed to meet.

Now Mr O'Connor says the threat of action is back on, and could involve a convoy of vehicles to stop traffic on the M4 and M48 bridges in and out of Wales.
"We aim to shut both bridges down entirely in the next seven days," he said."We will close off Wales come hell or high water and if they want to meet us face to face on the bridge that's great."