A FATHERS rights campaigner dressed as an alien space invader was protesting at the Granada Studios this morning in support of Coronation Street character Steve McDonald's on-screen custody battle.
Viewers have been glued to the soap as the taxi manager, played by Simon Gregson, has been prevented from seeing his baby daughter by his bitter ex-girlfriend Tracy Barlow.
A Real Fathers For Justice campaigner took over an 80ft crane next to the TV studios on Quay Street in the city centre.
The anonymous protester unveiled a banner demanding a stop to "parental alienation" to highlight the group's battle for a change in family law to give divorced or separated fathers more access to their children.
A Real Fathers For Justice spokesman said:
"We are pleased the script writers have shown how courts alienate fathers and we will continue protesting until we have a change in the law."
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F4J in Corrie protest
July 27, 2005

Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
Karen Jamieson, Stretford, Manchester (27/07/2005 at 15:31)
The Family Courts treat fathers like aliens in the secrecy of their courts. The Family Law needs urgent reform and good luck to these men and women campaigning for a change in the law and justice and equality.
O. Howells, S.Wales (27/07/2005 at 15:43)
mark, manchester (27/07/2005 at 16:35)
one question for the legal people - does the european human rights act have jurisdiction over uk family law.
not being a legal person i ask this question because as i ubderstand HRA gives everyone equal rights?.
please enlighten me.
freddy, london (27/07/2005 at 16:41)
freddy
garry.hollington, London (27/07/2005 at 17:29)
MR, Manchester (27/07/2005 at 19:21)
Respect to the real dads out there who are upstanding and do want to be with their children and families, but not every child needs two parents.
John, Rochester (27/07/2005 at 19:48)
alex m, Ellensburg, WA (27/07/2005 at 20:00)
I'd love to join the support group.
Dan, Ann Arbor, MI (27/07/2005 at 21:26)
Justice is Coming!
Gary Westcar, East Sussex (27/07/2005 at 21:28)
You have my full Support Real Father For Justice! Save our Families from being destroyed.
Labour Government is destroying decent Fathers Parental Family Life-bond with their Children. Under Labour Government 4-Million UK Children are Separated from One-Parent, usually perfectly fit-to parent Fathers are Kicked-Evicted-Out of their Childs & Children's life. By Inhumane Hierarchy Oppressive Civil Laws.
That destroy & Eroded a precious Child's Fathers Parental life-bond with their CHILDREN, please unite & help STOP this UK GENOCIDE by supporting this very important Cause. FACT Under this Labour Government UK TERRORISM and UK GENOCIDE, already Exists & Operates within Inhumane Oppressive Family Law Children Act Courts, Inhumane UK Judiciary Destroy Innocent Caring-Loving Devoted Fathers Parental Life-Bond with their CHILDREN. UK has the highest DIVORCE rate in Europe 200,000 in 2004. & the highest teenage pregnancies rate in Europe 100,000 in 2004. Labour Government give 2-BILLION B#Pounds of Taxpayers money over to Legal-Aid, which Family Law Solicitors & Barristers feed-off, Our UK Society is being Destroyed by those in Control the Government & the Judiciary etc etc. on 1st August 2005 Mr Blair makes LAW, that Demonstrating in LONDON is a Criminal Offensive! Please Unite help save our Democracy by fighting these Oppressive Laws Dictatorship.
Mike, Manchester (27/07/2005 at 22:34)
If you follow in old footsteps you will be left behind in the stands, forget the superheroes, become Dads and show your faces and see what kind of reaction you get....we all need the law to change...sooner rather than later.......
Jim Bailey, North Shore City, Auckland, NZ (27/07/2005 at 23:30)
The Kids are worth it
May they never loose theirs due to our APATHY
Jim Bailey
Founder
Dave, Warrington (28/07/2005 at 01:20)
Well done Real fathers For Justice fighting for children to have the right to be brought up by both parents.
It takes two to make them - it takes two to raise them!!
When will tony blair, father of four children, do something for the millions of children denied access to one loving parent.
Teri Stoddard, California (28/07/2005 at 08:04)
Mr Incredible, North East England (28/07/2005 at 11:33)
Dave, Manchester (28/07/2005 at 12:07)
You may well be right about your own father and that of your child, and nobody is campaigning for all parents to have un-fettered, unaccountable rights or responsibilities. Every parent should have the right to parent, and if they abuse that right, those rights should be sanctioned or removed. Until parents have rights to be honoured and upheld in the face of someone or the State abusing or unduly interfering with those rights, we have a system that continues to disrespect parents, and allows individuals and the State to seriously affect child/parent relationships. The loopholes for abusing the system are huge, and the lack of parental rights is the simple way the failing legal system operates. To enshrine parents rights would mean that the family legal system would have a duty to honour a parents rights, instead of just discarding them in the false belief they doing it in the best interest of the child.
Real Fathers For Justice is campaigning to change the law for parents to have legal parenting rights, which will allow them to carry out their parental responsibility. They campaign to overhaul the failing judicial systems, so that state sanctioned abuse of children and parents can no longer slip through. And at no point anywhere is anybody campaigning for cases to be handled in a one size fits all way. Every family is different, with different circumstances, and therefore every case will still need to be measured and judged on its own merits. This is how abusive or failing parents will be determined to have infringed their rights, by a proper process of assessment and review. Today, no such thing exists, and each case is measured on it merits under the secrecy of the courts, by poorly trained welfare officers, bias, hearsay and discrimination.
Well done Real Fathers, fighting for justice. It's about time more good mothers joined your campaign if they truly believe that mothers & fathers are equally capable of being good or bad parents, and laws should exist to determine those differences without any historical bias or stereotyping.
Toon, North East England (28/07/2005 at 12:19)
Ben, London (28/07/2005 at 15:21)
John, Columbus, Ohio, USA (28/07/2005 at 16:01)
Parental Alienation is real and tolerated or ignored by our courts, even here in the US.
We are united in our fight for equality in our domestic courts and will not let up until we accomplish our goals worldwide.
Children deserve Superhero Dads! Keep up the great work!
paul2170, middlesbrough (28/07/2005 at 16:35)
L Bevan Parents 4 Protest Wales/Cymru, Neath, Wales (28/07/2005 at 16:38)
G.T., Canada (28/07/2005 at 20:06)
They will try to discredit the ones who are exposing the indecencies and try to divide all that try to organize.
We are the majority that feel that children deserve two loving parents in their lives equally.
United we stand, divided we fall!
Way to go U.K.
G.T. Canada
P.S. Thanks for the Subs! HaHa
Don, the 14%er, San Antonio, Texas, USA (28/07/2005 at 22:01)
The reality is - too many children are denied time with caring, loving fathers by similar vindictive ex-wives and girlfriends.
By their actions, these women demonstrate they care little for their children's emotional lives. Laws should be changed to provide penalities for such people who flout custody orders.
Children need both parents!
Tim, Stockport (29/07/2005 at 11:01)
paul, eire (29/07/2005 at 12:31)