Protesting Fathers

The point of protest is generally to raise awareness of, and gather support for your cause. Hence protests should be done in a way which do not alienate the people who might otherwise support you.

Now I am what you could call a potential supporter of the men’s groups who protest against the Family Court. I think in the past there has been bias against men, there have been some awful treatment of fathers by the judicial process and they have my sympathy. I have empathy for the concept of shared parenting rather than one parent having custody etc.

But let me say the tactics of the protesters who target lawyers at their homes on the weekends appals me, and it greatly reduces my desire to support the cause they are promoting. Extremism turns people off. As does reading about how young children of lawyers are having nightmares because of the hours of protest outside their house.

I find the targeting of lawyers involved in the Family Court to be akin to bullying. They are merely advocates doing their job. The protests should be against MPs who make the laws. They are the ones who can change things for you – not lawyers. It comes across as personal and vengeful.

Secondly protests at people’s homes, rather than their offices, is intimidatory. It affects their neighbours, spouses and children, and no just because you have lost your kids is not a reason to harass other kids.

The more these sort of protests carry on, the less likely it is that desired law changes will occur. It’s a pity that some are blinded with (often justifiable) anger, to not see that their tactics are backfiring.