Activist Scales Truro cathedral for visit of former Archbishop of Canterbury

Sunday 24th July

At 7am this morning New Fathers 4 Justice activist Stuart Chilcott, has climbed on top of the front of Truro cathedral dressed as Robin.

Robin said from the building “fathers should get 50/50 status to see their kids after separation or divorce, there should be an automatic presumption of equal rights for both parents to see their children”

It is no coincidence that the phenomenal increase in crime over the past 30 years has occurred alongside the increase in family breakdown and the determination to ignore the importance of parenthood in a child’s life and the church seem to not care about this fact. We view the current stance of the Church of England with great dismay – the lack of leadership on an important matter of modern-day family life, divorce and protection of young children’s right to both parents and extended families.

Children need contact with both a mother and a father and with extended families to provide the love, care, nurturing and discipline necessary for a happy childhood and the C of E should be speaking out in support of equality for fathers and shared parenting.

Campaigners take over tank

Irate Dads Descend on MP’s Home

21st July 2011

ACTIVISTS from the New Fathers 4 Justice campaign group have held an early morning demonstration outside Justice Minister Jonathan Djanoglys home in Alconbury and painted slogans on his gate.

The group, which is fighting for equal access rights to children for fathers, also let off air horns and sirens outside the Huntingdon MPs home on Friday so that he would wake up up to what was happening in family courts.

Captain Equality, from the group, said the demonstration was part of their CON-DEM(N) campaign and also involved actions against Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke and in Prime Minister David Camerons Witney constituency.

The group painted CONDEM on Mr Djanoglys gate and the slogan New F4J Give Dads equal rights. Captain Equality said they did not know if Mr Djanogly had been at home at the time of the demonstration but wanted to bring the message home to him.

He said New Fathers 4 Justice considered the coalition Government was ignoring its own research which found fathers were a key part of a childs life and upbringing and that David Cameron had also attacked absent fathers.

New Fathers 4 Justice is calling for equal access rights between fathers and mother after a divorce or separation.

Captain Equality said: We are saying that access to children should be equal between the father and mother, except when the child is at risk, of course.

We have been talking for two years and it is time to go back to direct action like this.Captain Equality said they understood there would be little improvement for fathers seeking access to their children in proposed changes to family law.

He said: We dont know why they are ignoring their own research, but we do know they promised change at the election and are giving us the same offer as Labour did nothing but the same old drawn out secret family court system.

Mr Djanogly was unavailable for a comment

Superheros stage demonstration outside a Gloucestershire military base

19th July 2011

CAMPAIGNERS dressed as comic book superheroes staged a demonstration outside a Gloucestershire military base.

The group, calling themselves New Fathers 4 Justice, threw a banner over a tank gun barrel at the Ashchurch military base which read ‘Give Dads Equal Rights’ to highlight what they say is an increase in military fathers being denied access rights to see their children.

The fathers believe the Government is ignoring a report by former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith which concluded fathers have an essential role to play in their children’s lives.

One of the members Adrian Phelps, from Cheltenham, said: “We decided to do this because of the comments David Cameron made on Father’s Day. He pretty much declared war on fathers. He branded runaway fathers as bad as drink drivers.”

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph to mark Father’s Day, he said it was not acceptable for single mothers to be left to bring children up on their own. A father himself, Mr Cameron said “runaway dads” should feel the “full force of shame” for their actions.

A spokesman for the group, which is not connected to Fathers 4 Justice, branded the UK family court system a “complete pantomime farce”.

He said: “Although this law protects many women and children each year, it is being abused each year by unscrupulous partners to stop kind, loving and hardworking fathers from seeing their children.

“Fathers have been let down by this Tory-led report and its time to take our gloves off, roll up our sleeves and expose this corruption.

“Dads are lining up to climb roofs again and cause whatever disruption necessary to highlight this injustice.”

‘Captain Equality’, who asked for his real name not to be published, said: “After David Cameron’s recent attacks on fathers, this Dad’s army is fighting back and we’re not quitting any time soon. It is clear this government can only see one side of the story and does not want to deal with ‘muppet’ mothers who deny access or break contact orders.”

No one at the Ministry of Justice was available for comment.

Fathers 4 Justice Campaigner Speaks Out Over Rooftop Protest

Tuesday, July 19th 2011 07:59

A man who hasn’t seen his daughter for 17 years has been explaining to JACK fm why he was driven to a rooftop protest above David Cameron’s constituency office.

Roger Crawford, who lives near Letchworth, was one of three members of New Fathers 4 Justice who took part in the demonstration after the Prime Minister seemed to encourage a stigma for absent dads.

The 62 year-old from Meppershall was dressed as a court jester at the time and says the family courts have failed him and direct action is now his only option.

Roger’s been telling us they’re not stopping there: “There will be much more action on roofs and in the streets, as well as lobbying to try and change the minds of the family justice review panel.

It’s incredibly painful not having any contact with my daughter.”

Protest at MP’s home over rights

16th July 2011

WEALDEN MP Charles Hendry was fuming this week, after “scary” protesters dressed up as comic book heroes and erected a banner outside his home.

Dad Jason Sands dressed as Spiderman and pal Philip Sharp as Batman, to target the politician’s home in Hadlow Down on behalf of the New Fathers 4 Justice group.

Tory Mr Hendry was in London at the time.

But he later said: “I find it astonishing that an organisation which professes to care about children thinks it is appropriate to dress up in masks, in a way that will frighten other people’s young children in their own homes.”

Explaining their actions, Mr Sands from Cripps Corner, Robertsbridge, told the Courier after the Tuesday protest: “If fathers are not accounted for in a justice review we are prepared to cause whatever civil disobedience necessary.

“Should I not ask you why you cannot give equal rights to fathers, Mr Hendry?”

Meppershall fathers’ rights activist targets David Cameron’s office

A DAD has scaled the roof of Prime Minister David Cameron’s constituency office to protest about fathers’ rights.

Roger Crawford, of Shefford Road in Meppershall, was one of three members of campaign group New Fathers 4 Justice who took part in the rooftop demonstration in Witney, Oxfordshire, last Thursday.

The 62-year-old said: “I haven’t seen my own daughter, Heather, for 17 years now and she’s my only child.

“I just wanted visiting rights but I had a torrid time in the family courts. I found them adversarial rather than helpful and that’s why I joined Fathers 4 Justice and then New Fathers 4 Justice.”

Dressed as a court jester, Mr Crawford protested on the roof of the PM’s constituency office for more than four hours. He was accompanied by Jeremy Pogue, 50, from Wales, and Archit Ssan, 46, and from London. They held up banners, with one reading ‘two parents are better than one’.

“Obviously there are some exceptions, but time and time again it has been proved that children are best brought up knowing both parents,” Mr Crawford said.

He said that, due to “parental alienation, with her mother having a great deal of influence”, his daughter, who is now 19, has said she does not want to see him.

“It’s been very hard,” he said. “When she was 18 I wrote to her and said it was really up to her now but that I still care.”

He continued: “I can’t understand how someone like David Cameron, who has lost a child himself and said it affected him so badly he almost gave up politics, can ignore us.

“Parents – mother or father – have no right in law to see their child.

“He promised before the election that he would grant a legal status to parents and grandparents. He’s renaged on that.

“There is a review of family law, but it won’t include this.”

Asked if Mr Cameron’s office had responded to the demonstration, Mr Crawford said that the protest had been met with “a defeaning silence”.

He added: “We are going to step up our campaign now. I will be up to more mischief before long.”

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said that officers were on the scene to observe the demonstration, but that no action was taken.

Meppershall fathers’ rights activist targets David Cameron’s office

13th July 2011

A DAD has scaled the roof of Prime Minister David Camerons constituency office to protest about fathers rights.

Roger Crawford, of Shefford Road in Meppershall, was one of three members of campaign group New Fathers 4 Justice who took part in the rooftop demonstration in Witney, Oxfordshire, last Thursday.

The 62-year-old said: I havent seen my own daughter, Heather, for 17 years now and shes my only child.

I just wanted visiting rights but I had a torrid time in the family courts. I found them adversarial rather than helpful and thats why I joined Fathers 4 Justice and then New Fathers 4 Justice.

Dressed as a court jester, Mr Crawford protested on the roof of the PMs constituency office for more than four hours. He was accompanied by Jeremy Pogue, 50, from Wales, and Archit Ssan, 46, and from London. They held up banners, with one reading two parents are better than one.

Obviously there are some exceptions, but time and time again it has been proved that children are best brought up knowing both parents, Mr Crawford said.

He said that, due to parental alienation, with her mother having a great deal of influence, his daughter, who is now 19, has said she does not want to see him.

Its been very hard, he said. When she was 18 I wrote to her and said it was really up to her now but that I still care.

He continued: I cant understand how someone like David Cameron, who has lost a child himself and said it affected him so badly he almost gave up politics, can ignore us.

Parents mother or father have no right in law to see their child.

He promised before the election that he would grant a legal status to parents and grandparents. Hes renaged on that.

There is a review of family law, but it wont include this.

Asked if Mr Camerons office had responded to the demonstration, Mr Crawford said that the protest had been met with a defeaning silence.

He added: We are going to step up our campaign now. I will be up to more mischief before long.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said that officers were on the scene to observe the demonstration, but that no action was taken