Fathers' protest march passes off peacefully

Last updated at 16:22 18 December 2004


A protest march by fathers calling for better access rights to their children passed off peacefully today.

At its height there were about 350 people on the march through central London organised by campaign group Fathers 4 Justice, the Metropolitan Police said. There were no arrests.

The marchers were dressed as Father Christmas and carried banners featuring a picture of former Home Secretary David Blunkett in a Santa hat.

The campaigning group have adopted Mr Blunkett as their hero in recognition of his court battle for access to the two-year-old son of his former lover Kimberly Quinn, who he insists is his.

The majority of marchers were men, but there were also some women and children.

There were some grandparents among them, who join fathers in blaming the family courts system for failing to ensure access to their grandchildren.

Officers walked alongside the marchers along a route from Green Park along Piccadilly and through Covent Garden, ending up in Trafalgar Square in the early afternoon.

As the marchers cheered at closing speeches by the organisers, police officers guarded the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square to prevent any attempts by protesters to climb it.

Fathers 4 Justice spokesman Glen Poole said: "It is a great turnout. It shows how much support we have had and support is growing and growing.

"We have faced a lot of criticism over the past 12 months but every time we hold one of our controversial demonstrations we realise how much support there is."

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