Protest held over fathers' rights - Blackwall tunnel

Protest held over fathers' rights

Protesters from a fathers' rights group have brought traffic to a near standstill on some of London's key roads. The men from Fathers 4 Justice (F4J) climbed onto gantries on the A13, A2, M4, and A40.

Roads were closed for a short period while police assessed the scene but they have since reopened.

The protests are part of a campaign of events by F4J to raise awareness of the plight of divorced fathers.

A spokesman for the group said that the protests were the beginning of a full scale campaign of civil disruption.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman confirmed on Monday that the Metropolitan Police's public order branch was policing a "number of demonstrations" across the city.


She said police were alerted to a man on a gantry above the eastbound section of the A40 in White City at 0730 GMT, but traffic was flowing.

In another demonstration a man had climbed on the gantry above the westbound carriageway of the A13 near Prince Regents Lane.

And another man had climbed a gantry near Canning Town flyover.

At about 0812 GMT police were told about two men on the Blackwall Tunnel northbound entrance, southern approach. The entrance was later closed for safety reasons.

Scotland Yard said the two men were later arrested.

Police were also informed of another protest where a man had climbed on the gantry of the M4 elevated section eastbound into London.

There was no disruption to traffic in this protest.

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A group campaigning for fathers' rights warned yesterday that a series of protests on bridges and gantries which caused widespread chaos was "just the start" of a national campaign of civil disruption involving roads, railways and the courts.
Activists from Fathers 4 Justice scaled bridges and gantries in London, Bristol and Newcastle-upon-Tyne yesterday, disrupting traffic.

Police closed the Clifton suspension bridge in Bristol when four protesters, dressed as Batman, Robin, Superman and Spider-Man, climbed up it at 5.30am.

The group has also announced it is to start a new campaign of direct action on Merseyside - sending protesters to lobby the homes of solicitors, barristers and judges.

In Bristol, Fathers 4 Justice's spokesman, Jeff Skinner, said: "All motorists have been denied access to the suspension bridge this morning, as all our members are denied access to their children."

The bridge was closed for safety reasons and motorists in the Clifton and Leigh Woods districts of the city were warned to expect long delays.

In south London, two men demonstrating on a gantry at the entrance of the Blackwall tunnel were arrested.

Scotland Yard said they had been brought down as it was feared they presented a danger to traffic.

One of the men was Jolly Stanesby, 35, a childminder from Devon, who last Friday ended a week-long protest on a gantry over the Tamar bridge near Plymouth.

Protests were also staged on bridges above the A13, A2, M4 and A40 in London.

The first activist climbed on to a gantry above the A40 at around 7.30am.

The organisation's founder, Matt O'Connor, said activists were planning a campaign of widespread civil disobedience.

"If you give a father no options, you leave him no choice," Mr O'Connor said at a press conference yesterday. "Fatherhood is under attack in a way inconceivable 30 years ago."

A spokesman for the force said: "Anyone is entitled to protest peacefully in this country. This was a peaceful protest."