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3 protesters arrested at supermaket blockade

Huw Jones | 27.01.2007 20:12 | Culture | Globalisation | Social Struggles

A Morrisons supermaket was blockaded by over 80 people and three protesters were arrested today (Saturday 27 January) as part of the continuing campaign for a law ensuring rights to use Welsh language.



Morrisons supermarket was blockaded by protesters and three members of the Welsh Language Society were arrested today (Saturday 27 January) as part of the continuing campaign for a law ensuring rights to use Welsh

Following a public meeting held in the High Street of Bangor, north Wales, attended by about 250 people a smaller group held a sit-down protest in the entrance to Morrisons supermarket. Despite previous protests and meetings between campaigners and the company’s head office in England, Morrisons have failed to provide a full bi-lingual service.

As eighty or so protesters sat down blocking the entrance a number of other Welsh Language Society members plastered posters on the doors announcing that the store was temporarily shut. Gwenno Teifi, Stiwart Davies and Bethan Willams were later arrested for suspected criminal damage. were later arrested for suspected criminal damage.

Established in 1962 The Welsh Language Society (Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg) has been successful in winning a TV channel, education reforms and two changes in legislation providing limited rights ensuring government, local councils and official bodies make use of Welsh. However the Society constantly draw attention to examples such as Morrisons as typical of the private sector’s failure to provide bi-lingual services.

More photos on Flickr.com
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/51447658@N00/

Huw Jones
- e-mail: huw@mailcat.org
- Homepage: http://cymdeithas.org

Additions

Stiwart Edwards

28.01.2007 12:37

Just one quick correction. One of the protesters arrested was called Stiwart Edwards and not Stiwart Davies.

Hedd Gwynfor
mail e-mail: hedd@cymdeithas.org


Comments

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about time too !

28.01.2007 17:58

A LITTLE JOKE : WHY DOESNT MORRISONS STOCK TINNED CARROTS ? BECAUSE THEYRE DIM MORONS !
ive begun to notice that as commercial ventures in wales outstrip public developments, the requirement to put all signs etc in bilingual form is falling away rapidly. it matters very much, because the presence of welsh on an everyday basis is important to encourage its use. how bizare that the police (heddlu) try to be fully bilingual (you can be arrested in cymraeg!) but the regeneration agencies (demolition crews) cant give a llareggub (buggerall).
(NO CARROTS CAN BE ROUGHLY TRANSLATED AS DIM MORON)

beth ydyr amser