Fathers4Justice Accuses Granada of "Violent Conspiracy"

In a press release just issued, Fathers 4 Justice accuses Granada's Tonight program of orchestrating a "violent conspiracy" in stage-managing a physical attack by one former member of the organization on two others on March 21st, 2005 which they allege to have filmed while covertly following the organization's activities.

The incident involved a vulnerable individual with mental health problems who had been plied with alcohol all day by an undercover Granada reporter named Mike Hardy. According to F4J members who were present, Mr Hardy incited the person concerned to such an extent that he attacked two other members.

The attack was then filmed for the Granada Tonight program by Mr Hardy.

F4J today said that program producer Adam Leary had stated in a letter of October 21st that "As part of our filming we recorded physical attacks on two people who were then part of F4J's management committee - Jason Hatch & Michael Cox - by an F4J campaigner, Paul Nicholson."

Mr Nicholson was subsequently expelled from F4J as a result.

Fathers 4 Justice believe that:

1) Granada deliberately manipulated a vulnerable individual (Mr Nicholson) with mental health problems and then subsequently plied him with alcohol during the day of March 21st, 2005.

2) That he was incited by the Granada reporter to physically attack members of the then management team.

3) That the Granada reporter then subsequently filmed the attack.

4) That the orchestrated attack had been intended for F4J leader Matt O'Connor who had been present for the first half of the meeting but subsequently left during an interval.

5) That the entire incident had been contrived and stage-managed by Granada.

6) F4J will be making a formal complaint to Ofcom about the incident.

In a press release issued yesterday Fathers4Justice confirmed evidence uncovered by Granada's Tonight Program, that it had considered plans to sabotage television transmitters in the run-up to this year's general election, but had ruled-out the action after considering the impact on the public and the democratic process.

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F4J Activists found Not Guilty in Roads Trial

Five Fathers 4 Justice activists who were facing jail sentences of up to two years were today unanimously cleared by a jury in a retrial at Kingston Crown Court of endangering road traffic users during a series of gantryprotests on major arterial roads coming into London on 2nd February 2005.

The five, Jolly Stanesby from Devon, Paul Robinson from Portsmouth, Matthaus Huber from London, Darryl Westell from Oxford and Graham Manson from London all pleaded not guilty.

All five have now said that they will resume further gantry protests immediately and F4J say that they are planning a week of gantry protests across the UK within the next few weeks.

"The verdict is a victory for common sense, for justice and for all children denied access to their fathers", says Matt O'Connor, leader of Fathers4Justice.

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I've noticed our opposition trying to paint fathers as angry ogres, just because they want PBS to give them equal time after showing the anti-father film Breaking the Silence, the children's stories. I used to become uncomfortable when a father would vent his hurt, anger or frustration in my direction. It doesn't make me uncomfortable any longer, because I know that passion comes from love. These dads LOVE their children. The dads I support are not violent beasts, they're loving fathers, fathers pushed to the limits. George Rolph wrote a great piece on this subject last August. I think this is a good time for a second read:

Should I Apologize For Being Angry?

excerpt:

There is a huge and growing roll of fallen men who have given their very lives because they have suffered massive personal and/or shared damage to their families, their finances and their reputations...Men who, like my own father, have placed shotguns in their mouths. Men who have burned themselves to death in protests. Men who have jumped off bridges. Men who have starved themselves in hunger strikes. Men who have lost their sanity...Men who have gassed themselves in cars. Men stripped of their families, children and reputations...Men who have watched helplessly as crippling child support payments have destroyed their ability to earn or keep a business running. Men who have been sent to jail for “waving” at their children in a passing car and so found themselves in breach of a “no contact order.” Men trapped in horrifying and savagely abusive relationships they cannot escape from or find any help to manage, because the system set up by women, for women, will not allow them in. Men being forced to pay child support for children they did not father... Just how damn patient do they want us to be?

MensNewsDaily Blogwonks has the entire piece.

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THIS IS TO HONOR ALL FATHERS

Chhibber - October 21, 2005

Especially mine.

I see a lot of posts by mothers, on motherhood, and about their own mothers but I’m yet to see one honoring fathers. I have been fortunate enough to have a truly remarkable one so this is dedicated to him and many other special dads I see around me in different age groups...

Visit the intent blog for the rest.

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