A DISTRAUGHT Bristol father staged a protest in Southampton today in a desperate attempt to be reunited with his son
Nicky. who is a member of the New Fathers 4 Justice group, brought Bristol to a standstill three years ago when he threatened to jump from a bridge over the M32 between Easton and St Werburghs.
The 29-year-old was supported by passing drivers who beeped their horns in support of his cause.
He has vowed to carry on protesting until social services look into his case.
A MAN dressed as Batman staged a protest in central Southampton.
Nicki Hughes, a member of the New Fathers 4 Justice group, put up a number of banners on a footbridge over Portland Terrace this afternoon.
He was dressed in the superhero’s trademark black mask and a black and grey outfit and wielding a megaphone with a high pitched alarm which he is activating intermittently rather than shouting into it.
Drivers passing below the bridge linking the old town walls were occasionally honking their horns, while passersby pointed and took photographs of him as he stood motionless at the railing.
Mr Hughes, 29, is protesting on behalf of the group and another organisation, Stop the War on Dads, and has attached two cardboard banners bearing the name of each group.
The father, from Bristol, has chosen Southampton to stage his protest as he has friends based here.
He said he arrived yesterday and intended to camp out on the Walls – arming himself with a supply of food and water while his friends bring him hot drinks.
He told the Daily Echo he is refusing to leave until social services take notice he said: “I am going to stay here as long as it takes and I am not leaving here whether it’s a year or ten years.”
New Fathers 4 Justice is described as a “UK based direct action fathers rights group campaigning for the rights of fathers to see their children”.
Members of the group have held several previous protests in Hampshire, including ones at the Civic Centre in Southampton and in Winchester city centre.
A spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary said: “We are aware of the protestor dressed as Batman in Southampton. We were alerted at 9.14am this morning.
“We have since spoken to the man who was on the Castle Way footbridge near WestQuay and we are satisfied he is only there to demonstrate.”
http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/14212422.Batman_campaigner_holds_city_centre_protest/
A YEOVIL New Fathers 4 Justice activist who says he is being denied access to his son staged a two hour protest on Southampton’s city walls yesterday.
Nick Hughes, who last year confronted Michael Gove on a visit to Taunton during last year’s general election campaign, remained on the walls in Bargate while passing drivers were said to have honked their horns at him in support.
The protest was part of a campaign by splinter group New Fathers 4 Justice and Stop The War on Dads.
Pete Moore of Fathers 4 Justice said: “This is part of a campaign by splinter group New Fathers 4 Justice and Stop The War On Dads.
“The present biased, flawed family law system allows children to be exposed to a succession of mums’ fleeting boyfriends, lovers and stepfathers with whom they have no biological connection but gives no automatic right of access to their biological fathers or grandparents.
“No parent who is fit and willing should ever be denied their right to share equally in the lives of their own children.
“We use direct action and protests to highlight the injustice fathers’ face in the present family court system.
“We want nothing less than a legal presumption of equal contact for a child with their parents if they split up, and the abolition of the deeply controversial, undemocratic secret court system that still exists within the ‘family’ division despite forty years of inequality and protest.”
For more information about the campaign, visit http://www.newfathers4justice.co.uk
New Fathers 4 Justice wishes to make clear that neither it or Stop The War On Dads are associated with Matt O’Connor or Fathers4Justice UK.
Protests have been promised in support of a group of activists fighting for fathers’ rights who were arrested for climbing onto the roof of a magistrates court last week.
New Fathers 4 Justice members Sharon Chesterman, 55, of Minehead Way in Stevenage, Daniel Dedman, 33, from Potters Bar, and Martin Matthews, 48, from Leatherhead, climbed onto the roof of Stevenage Magistrates’ Court last Wednesday in support of fellow activist Bobby Smith, who appeared in court.
All three were arrested and have been charged with aggravated trespass. They have been bailed to appear before North East Herts Magistrates’ Court on February 15.
A spokesman for New Fathers 4 Justice said further protests are now planned in support of the ‘Stevenage Three’.
Mr Smith, of Anderson Road in Stevenage, was found guilty of breaching a restraining order by publishing photographs of his two daughters on Facebook. He was ordered to pay £597 in fines and court costs.
The 33-year-old was found not guilty of two charges of breaching a non-molestation order, relating to removing the photographs from Facebook and for posting a video on YouTube asking his daughters to contact him.
Mr Smith has been campaigning for a change in family law after he says he has been treated unfairly by the courts and denied proper access to his two young daughters for four years.
Last year, his protests including climbing onto roofs at Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey, and standing against David Cameron for the Witney seat in the general election.
A New Fathers 4 Justice spokesman said: “The present biased, flawed family law system allows children to be exposed to a succession of mums’ fleeting boyfriends, lovers and stepfathers with whom they have no biological connection but gives no automatic right of access to their biological fathers or grandparents.
“New Fathers 4 Justice campaigns for equal rights for fathers in divorce and separation proceedings and reform of the family courts.
“No parent who is fit and willing should ever be denied their right to share equally in the lives of their own children.”
http://www.whtimes.co.uk/news/potters_bar_man_charged_after_fathers_rights_campaign_stunt_1_4378080
Protests have been promised in support of a group of activists fighting for fathers’ rights who were arrested for climbing onto the roof of a magistrates court last week.
New Fathers 4 Justice members Sharon Chesterman, 55, of Minehead Way in Stevenage, Daniel Dedman, 33, from Potters Bar, and Martin Matthews, 48, from Leatherhead, climbed onto the roof of Stevenage Magistrates’ Court last Wednesday in support of fellow activist Bobby Smith, who appeared in court.
All three were arrested and have been charged with aggravated trespass. They have been bailed to appear before North East Herts Magistrates’ Court on February 15.
A spokesman for New Fathers 4 Justice said further protests are now planned in support of the ‘Stevenage Three’.
Mr Smith, of Anderson Road in Stevenage, was found guilty of breaching a restraining order by publishing photographs of his two daughters on Facebook. He was ordered to pay £597 in fines and court costs.
The 33-year-old was found not guilty of two charges of breaching a non-molestation order, relating to removing the photographs from Facebook and for posting a video on YouTube asking his daughters to contact him.
Mr Smith has been campaigning for a change in family law after he says he has been treated unfairly by the courts and denied proper access to his two young daughters for four years.
Last year, his protests including climbing onto roofs at Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey, and standing against David Cameron for the Witney seat in the general election.
A New Fathers 4 Justice spokesman said: “The present biased, flawed family law system allows children to be exposed to a succession of mums’ fleeting boyfriends, lovers and stepfathers with whom they have no biological connection but gives no automatic right of access to their biological fathers or grandparents.
“New Fathers 4 Justice campaigns for equal rights for fathers in divorce and separation proceedings and reform of the family courts.
“No parent who is fit and willing should ever be denied their right to share equally in the lives of their own children.”
In October 2015 I was arrested and charged with 3 counts of being a loving Father.
I appeared in Stevenage magistrates court on the 6th of January 2016 for my trial. As I arrived I noticed a security guard and a policemen pointing upwards and heard someone say “Their on the roof”. I continued into the court.
It turns out Martin Matthews, Sharon Chesterman and Danny Cook had decided to dress up and get on the court roof in protest of how the police and cps and have been relentlessly persecuting me for months for refusing to give up on my Children.
The protest caused a lot of drama, the road was closed and around 15-20 police were in attendance including negotiators.
When they came down a number of supporters including myself cheered these heroes as they were being driven away. (Video below)
Well done to all 3 of them.
As for my court case…… 2 of the charges were dropped and the other was a small fine, looks like 2016 is going to be a odd year for protesting about Fathers right’s 🙂
Veteran campaigner Bobby Smith, who lives in the town, was joined by Sharon Chesterman, also from Stevenage, and Surrey man Martin Matthews for the afternoon demo.
They ended their protest, which saw them dressed in ‘Anonymous’ masks and Father Christmas outfits, just before 6pm after scaling the roof of the Danesgate court complex at around 1.30pm.
The group said in a statement: “This is part of a campaign by splinter group ‘New Fathers 4 Justice’ and Stop the War on Dads.
“Christmas is a very emotional time when you are unable to see your children or grandchildren.
“Many people will go through the formalities of buying presents for children and grandchildren and putting them under the tree, hoping above hope that they will see them.
“More than four million children did not see one of their parents on Christmas Day due to family breakdown.
“Biased and flawed family law gives no automatic right of access to biological fathers or grandparents.”
Bobby Smith stood against Prime Minister David Cameron at last year’s general election to highlight the campaign, and has also been involved in high-profile rooftop protests in London.
New Fathers 4 Justice campaigns for equal rights for fathers in divorce and separation proceedings and reform of the family courts.
A spokesman said: “No parent who is fit and willing should ever be denied their right to share equally in the lives of their own children.
“We use direct action and protests to highlight the injustice fathers face in the present family court system.
“We want nothing less than a legal presumption of equal contact for a child with their parents if they split up, and the abolition of the deeply controversial, undemocratic secret court system that still exists within the ‘family’ division despite 40 years of inequality and protest.”
You can find out more about their aims at www.newfathers4justice.co.uk
New Fathers 4 Justice - Superhero Dads 