On Friday, fathers will take to the streets of Śródmieście to oppose isolating children after divorce and demand that they have access to both parents. The participants of the demonstration will meet in front of the Rotunda and move towards the Ministry of Justice. Traffic and public transport disruptions are possible.
On Friday, September 27, there will be a march through the streets of Śródmieście. It is organized by Strajk Ojców.
What are fathers demanding?
“Many years of neglect and lack of changes in family law have led to terrible family tragedies, some parents, despite court decisions, do not see their children for years. Arrogance and lack of respect for the Children's Rights to both parents by state institutions lead to the tragedy of hundreds of thousands of children in Poland,” we read in organizer's announcement. “We no longer intend to remain silent,” they wrote. Fathers write about the need to oppose parental alienation, the destruction of bonds by family courts, and the lack of respect for the child's rights to bond with both parents.
The protesters are demanding the introduction of universal alternating custody modeled on Belgian law, penalization of failure to provide approved contacts with children, reform of family law, and improved protection of bonds with children by “eliminating judicial delays.” They also want to introduce the concept of parental alienation into court jurisprudence, according to a study submitted to the Ministry of Justice.
Possible disruptions in the city center
The assembly will start at 11.30 in front of the Rotunda, at the corner of Marszałkowska and Aleje Jerozolimskie. From there, participants plan to walk through the streets: Marszałkowska, Świętokrzyska, Nowy Świat, through de Gaulle Roundabout and Trzech Krzyży Square, Aleje Ujazdowskie before the Ministry of Justice. The organizers announce that the event will end around 6 p.m.
The police will supervise the course of the meeting. Officers may also decide to close traffic on the streets where event participants will pass. Then buses will also be diverted.
Difficulties at the Wisłostrada junction Artur Węgrzynowicz/tvnwarszawa.pl
Main photo source: Łukasz Wieczorek