'Desperate father' spray paints the Queen's portrait

[alp227]

Source: Reuters

A man defaced a portrait of the Queen with paint at London's Westminster Abbey on Thursday, with a campaign group for fathers' rights saying he was one of its members making a "desperate" plea to the monarch for help.

The painting of the 87-year-old monarch, "The Coronation Theatre: Portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II" by London-based artist Ralph Heimans, had been part of a display marking the 60 years since the queen's coronation in 1953.

...

London's Metropolitan Police said security guards had detained a suspect at the scene. Officers arrested the 41-year-old man on suspicion of criminal damage and he has been taken to a central London police station for questioning.

Fathers4Justice (F4J), a group which supports divorced fathers seeking greater access to their children, said one of its members had carried out the attack to bring attention to his plight ahead of Father's Day on Sunday.

F4J named the man as Tim Haries from Doncaster in northern England. "Tim Haries has lost all contact with his children and felt he had nothing to lose by appealing directly to the queen for help by spraying his plea onto her portrait," said Campaign Director Jolly Stanesby.

Read more: http://reuters.com/article/2013/06/13/uk-britain-portrait-queen-idUKBRE95C0KG20130613

[enlightenment]

1. Isn't that the group that likes to dress in costume

and perch on the ledges of government buildings?

I think their methods of garnering attention to their cause need some refinement.

edited for singular/plural agreement

[geek tragedy]

2. Mens Rights Activists (MRAs), classy and sane as always. nt

[closeupready]

3. Vandalism like this is wrong, but at least it was non-violent.

I hope he gets the counseling he needs, and resolves his family issues so that he can participate in a healthy way with them.

[Deep13]

4. Deface an image of the nations most popular woman.

That will gain public sympathy!

[Generic Other]

5. She didn't let her hubby have custody

of the throne

[Deep13]

6. Well, it's not his.

[Generic Other]

7. see you are siding with women too

That's why he started the men's rights group.

[Deep13]

8. Well, I'm all for the rights of men...

...but "men's rights" is usually code for pro-patriarchy.

[Generic Other]

10. Yes, King Phillip

exactly.

[Deep13]

13. "King Philip?" What do you mean?

Philip II of Spain?

Philip Augustus of France?

Philip "the Fair" of France?

What?

[Generic Other]

15. Technically King Philip II of Spain does have a claim

on the throne. Ironic that both Philip II and our current Prince Philip no # never got to sit on the patriarchal throne as kings. I do know as does everyone that the queen trumps her husband. Perhaps that is why Mr. Divine Rights for Dad's defaced the queen's photo.

Sorry, I am pulling your leg.

[Deep13]

16. I figured.

[Rowdyboy]

9. Well that ought to really help the cause....

What an ignorant ass.

[JI7]

11. idiot

[magellan]

12. His access was taken away for a reason

This action of his points to it. There are undoubtedly cases where fathers have been wrongly separated from their children, but this isn't one of them. He really did himself no favors here.

[nomorenomore08]

14. Didn't Will Self write a novel about stuff like this, i.e. British FRA's and their nuttiness?