Women's group sets protest

Wave protest signs, rather than flowers, to mark Mother's Day.

That's the message Strengthen Our Sisters, the battered-women's shelter organization in Passaic County, plans to convey on Friday at the Passaic County Courthouse at noon and the Bergen County Courthouse at 3 p.m.

The protest aims to challenge court decisions that tend to give custody of children in family disputes to fathers.

The demonstration will feature mothers with empty baby carriages and angry claims that many fathers who gain custody are abusive, said Sandra Ramos, executive director of Strengthen Our Sisters, which operates shelters in West Milford and Wanaque.

"Far too many children have been placed in harm's way by court orders. We're asking for reexamination of cases by an unbiased review board when judicial misconduct has been reported," said Mable Bynum, an organizer of the event.

For further information or to sign up to participate, call 973-831-0898 or e-mail info@sosdv.org.

E-mail: barry@northjersey.com