Some chaps ‘associated with’ F4J have apparently been arrested trying to get onto the runway at Heathrow this morning, reports the Telegraph. It has been suggested by Matt O’Connor that they may have been trying to ‘steal back the mantle’ from the Plane Stupid protesters. It’s unclear from the piece I’ve read whether he purports to speak with authority or whether F4J have endorsed or claimed this action. It seems to be a splinter group, but then why the commentary from O’Connor? He certainly sounds from the quote to have been forewarned of the likelihood of forthcoming stunts.
Whatever the precise affiliations of those involved this mantle stealing jolly is pointlessly competitive. Juvenile. Egocentric. Unlikely to do the cause any favours. And irrelevant (why an airport for goodness sake?). Plain Stupid.
According to Scotland Yard these two have nothing to do with Fathers 4 Justice or with any other splinter group – I don’t know who they were. There is always a tendency to assume that any fathers’ rights / equal parenting protest is linked to Fathers 4 Justice, and the name has become synonymous with the campaign generally – rather like Hoover and vacuum cleaners. This has advantages and disadvantages! Why the commentary from O’Connor? Simply because the press always contact him for a comment when this sort of thing happens.
You’re probably right. Of course they always go to O’Connor, he’s not exactly shy. But assuming he was accurately quoted, this stunt doesn’t appear to have come as a complete surprise to him whether or not the individuals concerned were members of F4J – and nor does he appear to have taken the opportunity to condemn it. He can’t have it both ways.