Flying Fox ... Mr Fox abseils off the Harbour Bridge, grinding Sydney transport to a halt. Photo: Brendan Esposito
THE Sydney father who brought the city to a standstill with his one-man act of defiance on the Harbour Bridge has vowed to keep protesting to gain access to his children.
Michael Fox, who described himself as a former elite soldier, said he ''hadn't done a good job'' with his two-hour sit-in on the bridge.
''It's the first one,'' he told The Sun-Herald yesterday from his northern beaches home. ''The second one I intend, you know, this is only the tip of the iceberg.''
"Tip of the iceberg" ... a Facebook image of distraught parent Michael Fox. A Defence spokesman would not confirm if Mr Fox was a former soldier.
On Friday morning Mr Fox used a ladder and ropes to climb the bridge before draping hand-painted banners over the arch that said ''Plz help my kids'' and ''Kids first''. His protest clogged city roads, made about 60,000 people late for work and stopped trains and buses from crossing the bridge for two hours.
In a note found in a truck he left on the bridge, Mr Fox allegedly wrote: ''Be aware. I'm an Australian veteran and highly trained former elite soldier. Do whatever is asked and this will start and end peacefully.''
Mr Fox, 38, said he spent five days planning the sit-in. In Central Local Court on Friday, police alleged part of his preparations included doing the tourist Bridge Climb on Thursday.
Mr Fox, who reportedly has post-traumatic stress disorder, has tried unsuccessfully to reach his three children who are in their mother's custody. He blames police and welfare officials for his predicament.
He last saw his children 10 weeks ago, soon after a house owned by him was engulfed by fire. His estranged wife and one child were inside but not injured.
Yesterday he said he had received positive feedback for his actions. There are dozens of messages of support on a Facebook site praising his stance.
Mr Fox said he would continue ''fighting for the rights of kids''. ''Every child deserves a loving mum and [dad].''
Mr Fox said he was a paratrooper who served in East Timor. He was discharged from the army after injuring himself while attempting the selection course for the SAS.
''I had a broken back, two broken elbows and a broken ankle and those were the injuries I was discharged for.''
He said media reports he had done military service in Iraq were wrong. He said he had been to Iraq but would not reveal why he was there.
Yesterday, a Defence spokesman would not confirm if Mr Fox was a former soldier.
Mr Fox has also told business associates, who contacted The Sun-Herald, that he was a ''dispute negotiator'' for oil and mining companies and did contract work for the Australian Federal Police.
He told one associate he had negotiated the release of ships' crews kidnapped in Somalia. Mr Fox, who was charged with a number of minor offences for climbing the bridge, was given bail on Friday and is due in court again on June 10.