Protestors delay National Lottery

[JP]

I only caught the end of the programme tonight but i knew something had happened...

Here's the story:

The live National Lottery draw was held up after Fathers 4 Justice demonstrators invaded the BBC TV studio.

Presenter Eamonn Holmes was led from the stage as protesters stormed the set of the BBC1 National Lottery: Jet Set programme.

The broadcast was interrupted for several minutes before the draw for this week's £17 million Superdraw jackpot was resumed.

Afterwards Holmes joked: "If anyone else is going to protest, please start now.''

Campaign group Fathers 4 Justice immediately claimed that its activists were behind the stunt.

The group officially disbanded in January after some members were accused of plotting to kidnap Prime Minister Tony Blair's youngest son, Leo.

Guy Harrison, a spokesman for the paternal rights group, said:

"Tonight marks the dramatic return of Fathers 4 Justice.

"The lottery is a metaphor for what can happen to any parent, mother or father, and their children, at the hands of the secret family courts.

"It's our duty to warn parents about what is happening and send them this message: don't play family law lotto - don't gamble with your kids.''

[Claret & Blue Army]

Lock them up for a few days...that'll give them something to protest about

[JP]

I agree!

Just seen the clip on the news now.

[julie]

Didn't see it myself but you may feel differently if you're ever in that situation yourselves. These guys don't go about things in the right way and certainly don't do themselves any favours but they do have a serious point to make.

[Claret & Blue Army]

I always think though that disrupting a national institution doesn't help their cause with regards to public sympathy

[covunistudent]

But they claim to have tried all the legal ways of doing it though. I can see their point, although I don't think this is the right way to go about it, having said that, I'm not in the same situation myself, whose fault is it when divorces happen, and who should get custody of the kids etc.

My own opinion is that unless theres a drugs/drink/violence problem etc, there should be 50/50 for both mother and father after a divorce.

[SuperMouse]

covunistudent said:

But they claim to have tried all the legal ways of doing it though. I can see their point, although I don't think this is the right way to go about it, having said that, I'm not in the same situation myself, whose fault is it when divorces happen, and who should get custody of the kids etc.

My own opinion is that unless theres a drugs/drink/violence problem etc, there should be 50/50 for both mother and father after a divorce.

I totally agree

[julie]

covunistudent said:

But they claim to have tried all the legal ways of doing it though. I can see their point, although I don't think this is the right way to go about it, having said that, I'm not in the same situation myself, whose fault is it when divorces happen, and who should get custody of the kids etc.

My own opinion is that unless theres a drugs/drink/violence problem etc, there should be 50/50 for both mother and father after a divorce.

I agree with you - and custody or 'parental responsibility' as they like to call it these days is only part of the problem. Unfortunately, the legal system is supposed to consider what is in the best interests of the child but they actually seem more intrested in what the Mother wants.

Sorry - I'll get off my soap box now!!

[covunistudent]

Of course its not that simple if a child is settled in a school or something like that, and the parents live a long way away after a divorce. Even a distance of say 20 miles is quite a long distance for a child to have 2 homes to live in. Going to one school one week, and one school the next is not what anyone would want.

So its not as easy as it first appears, but theres got to be more rights for the fathers.

Luckily I'm not in the same situation myself, and I hope I never am.

By the way Julie, don't worry about being on your soap box, I love people that do that on this forum, as long as they do it within the forum rules of course.