Tuesday, December 14, 2004
More protest
I returned from a trip to London this morning to see that there are accusations being bandied about that ITV Wales colluded with Fathers for Misogyny in a recent protest at the Welsh Assembly building in Cardiff Bay. The Western Mail reports that earlier this month a number of Fathers 4 Justice activists attempted to climb up the atrium in the Assembly building. They were forcibly ejected from the building, as was ITV Wales journalist Geraint Evans, who was making a programme about the group, and a PhD student from Warwick University who was waiting to meet the Assembly Conservative leader Nick Bourne.
Tonight the Welsh language current affairs programme Y Byd ar Bedwar, which is made by ITV Wales for S4C, will screen footage that raises serious questions about the way matters were handled after the Fathers 4 Justice campaigners began their protest. The Clerk to the Assembly has now written to ITV Wales to raise concerns over the role of Y Byd ar Bedwar in the protest. A spokesperson is quoted as saying, "While peaceful protest causes us no problem, we would take a very grave view of any collusion with an attempt by protesters to disrupt the normal operation of the Assembly or to commit public order offences. The Clerk has not yet received a reply to his letter."
The Warwick University student who was also ejected has put his version of events on his blog. No doubt we will be getting a report on the incident at a future House Committee.
Tonight the Welsh language current affairs programme Y Byd ar Bedwar, which is made by ITV Wales for S4C, will screen footage that raises serious questions about the way matters were handled after the Fathers 4 Justice campaigners began their protest. The Clerk to the Assembly has now written to ITV Wales to raise concerns over the role of Y Byd ar Bedwar in the protest. A spokesperson is quoted as saying, "While peaceful protest causes us no problem, we would take a very grave view of any collusion with an attempt by protesters to disrupt the normal operation of the Assembly or to commit public order offences. The Clerk has not yet received a reply to his letter."
The Warwick University student who was also ejected has put his version of events on his blog. No doubt we will be getting a report on the incident at a future House Committee.
