Fatherhood activist Bob Norton was present yesterday when two Fathers 4 Justice activists beached security and climbed onto the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. He sent me the following eye-witness account of the incident:

"I was at the Lincoln Memorial today and witnessed and filmed two F4J UK folks climb into Abe Lincoln’s lap at the Lincoln Memorial. I was detained for about an hour by park police and a SWAT team arrived quickly thereafter. Although they were respectful to me, they patted me down three times and I told them I did not consent to any search.

"I was ¼ mile away after they cleared the room when a park ranger tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to come back. There were about 150 or more people in the Lincoln Memorial room when it started, many were taking pictures and video. One fellow yelled and tried to get everyone to stop taking pictures saying 'That’s what they want.'

"Four security guards tackled Bob Dickerson to the floor and sat on him. They forced his head into the stone floor. The security people over-reacted for sure. I think they tackled him just because he was trying to leave. The SWAT people that arrived earlier were more level-headed

"I got this all on video but they seized my video chip and returned my camera. In addition to the two F4j UK guys I surmised that two others were arrested, though I was separated from others most of the time while detained.

"I have learned that the names of the U.S. citizens arrested are Bob Dickerson and Donald Ten. Don is the F4J California coordinator.

"It is F4J’s mission to do peaceful protests but the timing and location probably are not the best for this type of thing in DC with the hair trigger our government shows in using the Patriot Act etc.

"There must have been at least 10 people videotaping this event so I would expect some video to be available soon.

"The two F4J protesters climbed up the monument with help from a couple of others who I believe passed up stuff to them. They then changed into their superhero suits on top of Lincoln’s lap and began to put up a sign.

"When the security people came in, they began to clear the room and took no action to get them down. Just told them to come down.  I started to leave, as I was asked with everyone else to leave.

"My best guess is they were up there 30-40 minutes, and I saw some video that was shot with a zoom lens from outside where you could see them up there. I was detained outside where I could see nothing but the SWAT guy told me they were taken down in the elevator to the police bus. I am told they are at 'Central Cell Block' in lock down tonight.

"The video I saw from another source shows all this and should be available at the US F4J site by morning."

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 18th, 2007 at 12:04 am and is filed under Fathers' Rights/Noncustodial parents' rights, Family Court Reform Movement. You can trackback from your own site.