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Large Rally in London & Official Hearings in Australia / Syracuse Update
From: AKidsRight.Org Webmaster (webmaster@AKidsRight.Org)
This is a message from a mailing list, members@kids-right.org Unsubscribe instructions at bottom of message. ====================================================================== Good People & People of Faith: This message contains information on: 1. Events in England - the 'Brits' demonstrate public action. 2. Hearings in Australia - what about Congressional hearings in the US? 3. Events in Syracuse - moving forward & making progress. [We have a lot of people new to the list and perhaps the coverage below needs some introduction. Our group is made up of about equal numbers of mothers and fathers who have been separated from their children unjustly. We are seeking to change that, not only by reforming "divorce" law, but also "child protective" laws. We do report other activity and opinions and some are from "fathers" groups -- we report, when available, from "mothers" groups also. Hopefully, as our movement matures, we will all see ourselves as "parents." - Ed.] 1. Events in England - the 'Brits' demonstrate public action. ------------------------------------------------------------- Below we have some links and newspaper coverage. There are some great photos below -- especially of 'Batman & Robin.' From the amount of activity this certainly seems like one of the largest "parenting" justice events on the planet so far! A lot of newspaper coverage including the BBC. This effort was lead by "Fathers 4 Justice", http://www.fathers-4-justice.org/ --- submitted by "Raymond Cuttill" <rcuttill@java45.freeserve.co.uk> Roger Eldridge <eldridgeandco@eircom.net> http://www.geewcee.com/F4J221003.htm (Rally in London) Nice page with some great pictures of the rally. Hard to believe they got a "permit" to drive an actual tank through London! Note: the above link has a scantily glad female at the top, scroll down for the photos. Also has some nice pictures of the family and the home page has other news story links: http://www.geewcee.com/ . In fact, following yesterday's Fathers-4-Justice protest in London, we have seen unprecedented media attention to father's rights. A number of radio stations have covered it and there have been interviews with F4J members. Newsnight, a BBC nightly news programme, last night had extracts from the protest, an interview with Matt O'Connor (founder, http://www.fathers-4-justice.org/), a woman's aid woman, a family law solicitor (lawyer) who had been targeted by the F4J Decontamination Squad and Lord Filkin, minister for constitutional affairs. This is probably the first time a minister has been interviewed on TV about father's rights. The minister spoke about how complicated it was, the women's aid women talked about abusive fathers (Matt pointed out they are campaigning for rights for good fathers) and the solicitor spoke about being intimidated and suggested that there were other father's groups who had put fathers rights on the political agenda . It sounded like they'd all like it to go away and the fathers should go back to writing letters to the media and their MPs for the next 10-20 years. Sounds like a good plan to me. --- http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_830806.html (Batman & Robin) Eddie Goldtooth and Jolly Stanesby, members of the pressure group Fathers for Justice, scaled the side of the court building in The Strand just after 4am. Group spokesman Glen Poole said the men were calling themselves "the caped crusaders for justice". He said they were hoping to draw attention to the group's campaign to ensure divorced fathers were given proper access to their children. The men intend to remain on top of the Royal Courts of Justice for a week and had taken food, clothes and bedding with them, he added. Mr Poole said the stunt was the start of a campaign by the group of "civil disobedience" against the court system across the UK. A Scotland Yard spokesman confirmed that two men dressed as Batman and Robin were on the roof of the courts. "We are monitoring the situation and trying to persuade them to come down," he said. --- http://www.fathercare.org/batmen.htm --- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/3212448.stm (story below) Last Updated: Wednesday, 22 October, 2003, 16:06 GMT 17:06 UK Rally over fathers' rights [Including Batman & Robin - Ed.] The group says 2,000 people took part in the protest on Wednesday A group calling for a change in the way fathers are treated in family courts have held a rally in central London. Fathers 4 Justice organized the demonstration on Wednesday as part of its campaign of civil disobedience across the UK. It wants divorced fathers to be given proper access to their children. Michael Cox, the group's legal adviser, claimed 2,000 people took part in the protest but police said only 350 gathered in Trafalgar Square before marching to Temple Place via the Royal Courts of Justice and Lincoln's Inn Fields. The rally follows a costumed roof-top protest at the Royal Courts of Justice which began on Tuesday. Campaigners Jolly Stanesby, from Ivybridge, Devon, and Eddie Goreckwi, from Romford, Essex, who are dressed up as Batman and Robin, are into the second day of their week-long protest. Mr Cox said: "We were marching today to draw attention to the fact the family courts are failing to act in the best interests of our children. "We want a legal presumption of contact. As parents men don't have a right to see their children following a divorce or separation. "All they have is a right to apply to court to see their children but the courts are institutionally biased against the father. Fathers are reduced to pleading with the mother to see their children." Previous action by campaigners includes painting the doors of court welfare offices purple - the international colour of equality. --- Dave Ellison <mad-dogs@ntlworld.com> > When that tank came into view, jolly and i looked at each other, we > were amazed, then we saw the happy bus with music then the countless > supporters waving and shouting, i was emotionally overcome, jolly and > i were lost for words, we agreed though on what we could see was, we > are a powerful force to be reckoned with, > WE WILL CHANGE THIS CORRUPT FAMILY LAW SYSTEM, AND WE SHALL > CHANGE IT TOGETHER...SOON! 2. Hearings in Australia - what about Congressional hearings in the US? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Submitted by: Roger Eldridge <eldridgeandco@eircom.net> SA Parliament Establishes Select Committee Inquiry into the Status of Fatherhood. The Honourable Andrew Evans MLC successfully passed a motion establishing a South Australian Legislative Council Select Committee into the Status of Fatherhood last night (Wed 21 October 2003). This Inquiry has the following Terms of Reference:- I. That a Select Committee of the Legislative Council be appointed to investigate and report upon:- (a) The status of fathers in South Australia by reference to the current level of recognition of their role in family formation and child rearing and in the support given to them by the public and private sectors and the community in general; (b) The current difficulties facing fathers in South Australia from an economic, social and financial perspective in the formation and maintenance of the family unit; (c) The nature and availability of government and non-government support and services for fathers in crisis in SA. II. That standing order 389 be suspended as to enable the chairperson of the committee to have a deliberative vote only. III. That this council permits the select committee to authorize the disclosure or publication, as it thinks fit, of any evidence or documents presented to the committee prior to such evidence being presented to the council. IV. That standing order 396 be suspended as to enable strangers to be admitted when the select committee is examining witnesses unless the committee otherwise resolves, but they shall be excluded when the committee is deliberating. The Committee has a reporting deadline of 3 December 2003, and will be taking submissions and evidence over the coming weeks. The Select Committee consists of the following members:- The Hon. Carmel Zollo MLC (ALP) The Hon. John Gazzola MLC (ALP) The Hon. John Dawkins MLC (LP) The Hon. Michelle Lensink (LP) The Hon. Kate Reynolds MLC (Dem) Details of where to send submissions will be forwarded as soon as the Select Committee has met and determined their hearing schedules. This is a progressive move here in South Australia and should be warmly welcomed by our members. Hansard of Legislative Council debate on the issue will be distributed as soon as they become available later today. Further information can be obtained from:- The Hon Andrew Evans MLC Legislative Council Parliament House North Terrace Adelaide SA 5000 Tel: (08) 8237 9122 Email: famiyfirst@parliament.sa.gov.au Regards, Geoffrey Greene Federal Director Shared Parenting Council of Australia PO Box 105 Stepney SA 5069 Tel: (08) 8261 5191 Mob: 0422 269 200 Email: secretariat@spca.org.au Web: www.spca.org.au 3. Events in Syracuse - moving forward & making progress. -------------------------------------------------------- We are happy to report some progress: http://www.AKidsRight.Org/actionc_syr * After sending a FAX to the Washington "scheduling" office of Senator Clinton (fax: 202-228-0121). John then followed up with a phone call to Lona Valmoro, a senior advisor to the Senator who coordinates her schedule (tel: 202-224-4451). While he did not get to talk to Ms. Valmoro, it was clear the Senator's staff is aware of our group and our goal of a meeting. You are all encouraged to send a polite letter to Ms. Valmoro at the fax number above. By your love for your kids, help her to convince the Senator to make time to meet with parents. Then take a few minutes and follow up with a personal phone call. It will become an important issue for them -- when it becomes an important issue for us. * John Murtari will go on trial at 10 am on Friday, Nov. 7th, at the US Court House for the Northern District of New York, Hanley Federal Building, Syracuse. He has been appointed counsel. You are welcome to attend. He is facing a 6 count complaint for separate incidents of "trespass" outside of Senator Clinton's local offices, each can carry a 15 day sentence -- the "worst case" scenario is 90 days of jail time. The Judge said that he would be ready to sentence John that day to jail (if found guilty). For John the immediate jail sentence is a "good thing", he has plane tickets to pick up his son on December 17th for a 10 day Christmas vacation -- and is 'hoping' for a 30-35 day sentence. Why do these things always seem to happen around the holidays? * PLEASE understand, John is not being "trampled" by our legal system. Both the US Magistrate and the US Attorney's office have just about bent over backwards to avoid prosecution. They are frustrated since they just can't get John to stop. This is a 'political' matter, we think everyone understands that if just a few more parents would join in the effort -- we would get that meeting with Senator Clinton. We hope that time will be soon.... ================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list at anytime, send email to Majordomo@kids-right.org with the following 1 line in the BODY of the message (Subject is ignored). unsubscribe members
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