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Arrests after protest on 100ft crane (From South Wales Argus)
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Arrests after protest on 100ft crane
5:05pm Sunday 21st June 2009
TWO men staged a fathers' rights protest after scaling cranes at a Newport building site this morning.
The Father's Day action - more than 100 feet up - on the site of the partially-built university campus on the west bank of the River Usk, lasted almost three hours and forced the temporary closure of the city centre's main transport route.
Traffic was re-routed away from Usk Way, which was closed by Gwent Police for safety reasons for around three hours, along a 300-metre stretch from the Newport Centre to the traffic lights near the Castle Bingo complex.
Neither man has been named by police, though they are believed to be from the Newport area.
Dressed in costumes depciting Captain America and Banana Man, they draped banners over the cranes' edges, one of which read: Where's Daddy? New Fathers 4 Justice.
New Fathers 4 Justice is a pressure group dedicated to what it describes as non-violent direct action, to try to get the Government to redraft the family law system, which it believes is biased against fathers.
Police were called to the scene around 7.40am.
Aside from inconvenienced motorists, only early morning anglers on the city footbridge, a team of police officers and the occasional curious passer-by, one of whom shouted angrily at the pair, witnessed the protest.
One protester climbed down shortly after 10am and was arrested after completing his descent. The other came down at 10.30am. He too was arrested. Usk Way reopened shortly afterwards.
Both men were being held on suspicion of trespass.
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Your Say YourGwent
ianzemma, newport says...
6:28pm Sun 21 Jun 09
Nevasleep, Newport says...
6:59pm Sun 21 Jun 09
alfy, newport says...
9:14pm Sun 21 Jun 09
papa, Newport says...
9:38pm Sun 21 Jun 09
A friend of mine had to go court down in the south of England seeking visiting rights to his children.
Much to his surprise when the judge made his decision he granted him total custody of the five children and he returned to Newport with five kids of mixed sexes that initially caused him many problems but he now has five well behaved kids.
Closing the road seems to be a bit ridiculous to me just because a couple of guys are stood on top of the cranes waving a couple of banners.
They don’t close the road when these cranes are working are lifting tonnes of material into the sky.
jilted john, newport gwent says...
7:31am Mon 22 Jun 09
I no of a father who took his own live because even though the court ruled he could have access the mother still denied him.
I guess he was just an emotional wreck.
Who can say if a woman should have the right to have the kids?
If there was never a reported problem, it should be equal from the beginning.
It is a terrible time for the kids losing a parent without only seeing the father when the courts decide.
I would imagine the cleverer dad would just stay in the house if he loved his wife or not just to see his kids let his kids grow up then bugger off.
However, I guess that would depend on the circumstances.
Even if the wife cheated on her husband, she would still have the kids
So the guy gets punished losing the trollop of a wife then losing his kids.
vic flange, says...
7:54am Mon 22 Jun 09
Mrs Blus Sky, Cwmbran says...
9:42am Mon 22 Jun 09
bucks, says...
9:52am Mon 22 Jun 09
Mrs Blus Sky wrote:I agree with the first part of your comment, most of the blokes I know that have failed marriages or relationships make out that they desperately want to have a big role in their children's lives, but its too easy for them to opt out for a while, especially when they get into a new relationship. The last part of your comment is just daft, how do you propose a law to manage emotional contribution?
I do support their cause, but in nearly all the cases of parents seperating that I know about the fathers harldy keep in contact wiith their children. We should be making it the law that fathers contribute to their children not only financially but emotionally.
Davi, Gwent says...
12:18pm Mon 22 Jun 09
They should think of the children and what they need, most ex's are bitter and bring this into the father/child relationship.
busybee, Cwmbran says...
12:28pm Mon 22 Jun 09
username2, newport says...
12:45pm Mon 22 Jun 09
vic flange, says...
1:08pm Mon 22 Jun 09
busybee wrote:Suprised your carers let you out on your own. the whole idea of the protest was to get attention to the way certain fathers are treated by there ex parterners and the system. i know one of the lads well and what hes been through in the last fews months is really shocking
That will be why i couldn't go down that road toget to my parents house to see my father on fathers day coz of some stupid idiots, there are better ways to deal with this topic and not to waste the time of the emergency services etc...
good luck lads.. and if you get charged
just tell them your an MP and they will turn the other cheek
JessicaSecker, cwmbran says...
4:05pm Mon 22 Jun 09
I do believe that men have the right to see their children but some men do NOT want to.
I am infact the mother of the son of the one men in question.
So maybe listening to the 'evil' ex partners would be wise first.
thomas39, cwmbran says...
4:20pm Mon 22 Jun 09
wolvesfan, Cwmbran says...
5:11pm Mon 22 Jun 09
Mrs Blus Sky wrote:Perhaps you should ask yourself why they aren't able to keep in contact when vindictive women make it so difficult to maintain contact and spread flase and malicious lies about their ex both to the children and the wider family
I do support their cause, but in nearly all the cases of parents seperating that I know about the fathers harldy keep in contact wiith their children. We should be making it the law that fathers contribute to their children not only financially but emotionally.
wolvesfan, Cwmbran says...
5:14pm Mon 22 Jun 09
bucks wrote:Unfortunately the timne of Dad getting a new partner is seen as a particularly fractiousd one and is often the time when mum starts her shenanigans in stopping contact- her insecurity won't let another woman parent her children.
Mrs Blus Sky wrote: I do support their cause, but in nearly all the cases of parents seperating that I know about the fathers harldy keep in contact wiith their children. We should be making it the law that fathers contribute to their children not only financially but emotionally.I agree with the first part of your comment, most of the blokes I know that have failed marriages or relationships make out that they desperately want to have a big role in their children's lives, but its too easy for them to opt out for a while, especially when they get into a new relationship. The last part of your comment is just daft, how do you propose a law to manage emotional contribution?
Shame she doesn't have the same misgivings about all her new boyfriends she introduces the children to.
wolvesfan, Cwmbran says...
5:24pm Mon 22 Jun 09
busybee wrote:Consider yourself lucky that you were only stopped from seeing your Dad on one Fathers day- most fathers in this predicament don't get to celebrate for years.
That will be why i couldn't go down that road toget to my parents house to see my father on fathers day coz of some stupid idiots, there are better ways to deal with this topic and not to waste the time of the emergency services etc...
You clearly are a selfish individual, not to mentiona geograhically challenged one if you couldn't work a route out around the protest
wolvesfan, Cwmbran says...
5:31pm Mon 22 Jun 09
JessicaSecker wrote:Of course he should see his child where and when he wants to and hopefully that should be at his own home and on a regular basis.
No it is not good for them!! Because i know for a fact that the one man DOES see his son VERY regulary. When he wants too, Where he wants to and when its convient for HIM. I do believe that men have the right to see their children but some men do NOT want to. I am infact the mother of the son of the one men in question. So maybe listening to the 'evil' ex partners would be wise first.
Unfortunately a lot of women stop Dads from seeing thier children unless it is at their house or under the supervision of them or someone they know. As if suddenly Dads are unable to look after their own children just because they separated from their childrens mothers.
Unfortunately, Jessica Secker you sound like one of these control freaks.
JessicaSecker, cwmbran says...
6:07pm Mon 22 Jun 09
wolvesfan wrote:I am far from one of these 'control freaks' He does not however have him at his own house. He stays in mine as this is HIS wishes.
JessicaSecker wrote:Of course he should see his child where and when he wants to and hopefully that should be at his own home and on a regular basis.
No it is not good for them!! Because i know for a fact that the one man DOES see his son VERY regulary. When he wants too, Where he wants to and when its convient for HIM. I do believe that men have the right to see their children but some men do NOT want to. I am infact the mother of the son of the one men in question. So maybe listening to the 'evil' ex partners would be wise first.
Unfortunately a lot of women stop Dads from seeing thier children unless it is at their house or under the supervision of them or someone they know. As if suddenly Dads are unable to look after their own children just because they separated from their childrens mothers.
Unfortunately, Jessica Secker you sound like one of these control freaks.
I have never stopped him seeing his son on any accounts and have always offered no limits for him to see his son. I am actually the one who contacts my ex so he can see his son. not the other way round.
Therefore i did not leave him, he left me after our son was 10 days old.
I have always and will always believe that a dad has the 50%/50% shared responsality to raise his child whether he is with the mother or not but when the father shows no interst in seeing his child then that is where it comes into account an unfit father needs restrictions.
IE if a 7 year old boy was PROMISED by their father that he would come and see him and say for example take him to the park for the day and he DOESNT turn up then its not the parents that are getting hurt.
Am i right in saying the parents BOTH need to make the child 100% no matter what it does to them? or is that being selfish if you only think about yourself and what others think of you????? as this seems to be the case with your opinion.
NF4Jstarmore, Little Mill says...
6:51pm Mon 22 Jun 09
ianzemma, newport says...
7:21pm Mon 22 Jun 09
NF4Jstarmore, Little Mill says...
11:44pm Mon 22 Jun 09
Gareth, Newport says...
12:13pm Tue 23 Jun 09
they always bring out the people who have had a bad personal experience who feel the need to assume that we all have had the same experience.
no, i don't mean break-ups and the issue that F4J stand for...
i mean those people who have had a bad experience of something (a nasty ex, immigrants, german foreign minsters, cheese sandwiches, whatever), and assume that all are bad.
here it is: "in my experience, most men are X" or "the majority of women i know are Y".
at no time do they think: "d'ya know what, maybe i just had a bad one."
the vast majority of fathers do not turn into the devil after a break up.
the vast majority of mothers do not turn into the devil after a break up.
if you have had experience, that is awful, but you lay off the assumptions a bit!
wolvesfan, Cwmbran says...
7:25pm Wed 24 Jun 09
Men are too naive and trusting and beleive me it is only when you are a victim of the system will you relaise how discriminated against dads are.
NF4Jstarmore, Little Mill says...
8:13pm Wed 24 Jun 09
NF4Jstarmore, Little Mill says...
8:20pm Wed 24 Jun 09
We leap tall cranes in a single bound,
justice 4 dads will be the only sound that the government will be hearing from the underground.
Bouncing around inside their heads,
until the bruises remind em of,
all the dads the millions of us maybe more.
who are being denied the moral fact,
so come on brown get ur head from stuck up ur arse and give fathers for justice,
their rights to ask,
for a simple change in the law " no more " " I thank u.
From a dad.
davewales, newport says...
9:08pm Wed 24 Jun 09
i sympathise with the fathers the law seems one sided these days ie in the mothers favour.
i know men who's wives have cheated on them,made up stories of violence and infidelity then taken their homes from them and stopped access to their children.
i know one man that was jailed and later released without charge but still lost his business,home and children.
some women are evil and the law supports them without any evidence.an accusation by a woman is taken so seriously in this pc world the man has no chance.when a woman says she's being beaten by her husband the police wont listen too the man ,they just get aggressive,arrest him or tell the man to leave his marital home , not return or he will be arrested.
give good fathers equality and justice this is 2009
NF4Jstarmore, Little Mill says...
9:13pm Wed 24 Jun 09
DADS GOT NOTHING
helper7, cwmbran says...
11:33am Sun 28 Jun 09
And I will continue to support such groups although I favour the families need fathers charity.
I will not vote at the next elections unless a political party pledges to make family law fair instead of the unjust situation we have now and I would welcome the press to actively report on court cases (they are allowed to now).
FNF fun event in August for tickets contact Dave and quot Elvis
Dave Price 07855791933
NF4Jstarmore, Little Mill says...
12:38pm Thu 9 Jul 09
Jul 6 2009 by Martin Williams, Daily Post
DIVORCED and separated fathers say they are being excluded from their children’s lives.
A study by Families Need Fathers revealed almost 80% of dads in North Wales are not adequately informed and involved by their child’s teachers following a break-up with their partner.
The organisation said most dads are not aware of their rights, and appealed for schools to get up to date with custody laws.
One Rhuddlan father, who wished to remain anonymous, said he had not been made aware of parents evenings, concerts or seen his daughter’s school report in over two years.
The 43-year-old, whose child is educated outside Denbighshire in neighbouring Conwy county, said: “It’s not so much the fault of school staff as it is the system, because dads are just an afterthought in general when it comes to parenting.
“When you’re married it’s pretty much 50/50, but if you’re on your own – unless you’re one of the few dads to get custody – you only hear what your child’s up to or how they’re doing if their mum tells you.”
He added: “If the split was acrimonious, you have no chance. I rang my daughter’s school and asked when parents evening was and they wouldn’t tell me.
“I feel lost, there are so few rights for fathers I can understand why people dress up in costume and protest at Buckingham Palaceor Westminster.”
The Daily Post approached every council education department in North Wales, but none would comment.
Families Need Fathers supports and encourages divorced and separated parents, grandparents, and extended families.
Of over 500 members polled, nearly eight out of 10 (78.6%) felt let down by their child’s school.
The organisation’s Shared Parenting – Shared Benefits campaign is to raise awareness of the benefits of both parents being involved in their child’s life after family breakdown. The project is funded by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
Wales spokeswoman Lady Helen Lloyd-Jones said there are rights for dads, but admitted many members were being let down.
She said: “Some schools in North Wales are doing great work to encourage the involvement of both parents in their child’s education but others aren’t doing enough and the support parents receive remains a postcode lottery.
“Research shows shared parenting can have a powerful and positive impact on children’s lives and schools have a crucial role to play in this.
“By encouraging practical improvements we hope to make life better for children whose parents have separated.
“There have been some awful cases, with one dad being told the wrong day of his child’s parents evening so he couldn’t attend.
“Another had his child for the weekend, picked him up from school but they wouldn’t give him his son’s medication – it’s heartbreaking.
“A lot of schools appreciate both parents should be invited and should have an equal say, but some don’t.”
As part of their campaign, Families Need Fathers is calling on schools to do more to involve both parents in their child’s education wherever possible.
The charity is also calling on separated and divorced parents to demand their voices are heard.
The appeal comes after Welsh New Fathers 4 Justice activists caused security scare during Prince Charles’ visit to Treorchy last Wednesday. One member made a dash to the Prince but was stopped by security.
Activist Matthew Starmore said: “We were there see if there was an opportunity to meet up with Prince Charles and express our concerns to him regarding fathers’ rights and ask him to speak out about this issue.”
To support the Families Need Fathers campaign, the charity has produced new guidance for teachers and school management teams, providing practical examples of how educational professionals should promote shared parenting.
Lady Lloyd-Jones added: “Sadly a lot of children think their dads don’t care because they’re not at the school concert or parents evenings, not knowing they’d love to be there.
“These dads are entitled to see their children, and help is available.”
Details at fnf.org.uk or the charity’s helpline on 0870 7607496.
martin.williams
Arrests after protest on 100ft crane
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wolvesfan, Cwmbran says...
5:19pm Sun 21 Jun 09
There are too many Dads that want to see their children who are being kept at arms length by vicious ex partners.
Anyone who is finding it difficult to get contact with their child should contact familes need fathers they are very helpful and can help you go to court as a litigant in person to rebuild the contact between you and your child.