Friday
13th June 2003
THE
MEN IN BLACK: Mass Occupation of England's secret Family Court
in London
Fathers
4 Justice presented the biggest ever Equal Parenting Demo
ever two days before Fathers
Day.
More
than 50 members of Fathers-4-Justice, the UK's non-violent direct
action civil rights group,
occupied Court Number 1 in the Principal Registry Family Division
(Holborn), the largest family court in London,
while outside, huge numbers of angry parents and grandparents were
protesting loudly, yet peacefully, against the
Secret UK Family Courts that deny children their
right to access to them after divorce.
The
organiser's planned deception had worked perfectly. Police
forces had been put on nationwide alert because of fear of action
outside CAFCASS offices. In London,
police had expected the demonstration to hit the CAFCASS head office
in Archway tower, but in the event,
hundreds of protesters decoyed the Police by telling them they
were going to meet the head of CAFCASS at 11pm. Instead, protesters
had made their way in small groups to the main divorce Court.
Inside the occupied courtroom, the protesters read out moving personal
statements as to why they were here breaking the law.
The
police in Court One could be seen visibly softening as they heard
the genuine and heartfelt stories of people who have had
their children removed from them by agents of the State.
"The
policemen who find themselves in our position are not at liberty
to join us in these actions. It would be seen as a sackable offence.
We must keep on telling them that we will do their fighting for
them. I hope they will continue to cut us some slack with regard
to the punitive measures they choose not to apply to our activists.
Friday
was only a dress rehearsal! - They ain't seen nothing yet!! ".
NEWSPAPERS: The protest was featured as
the main story in the Review Section of the Sunday Times on
fathers day.
click
here
- Judgment
by Lord Justice Thorpe in the Court of Appeal on 22 May 2003
sets the precedent which
will compel all courts to totally remove all fathers. read
more
- Fathers-4-Justice
challenges UK policy of massive expansion of Child Contact
enters (CCCs)
- Three
more protesters from campaign group Fathers-4-Justice got arrested
- PRIVATE
EYE's recent article
on CAFCASS
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