Police Condemned for failing to produce bilingual summons

Angharad BlytheThis afternoon, at Cardiff Magistrates Court the hearing against Cymdeithas yr Iaith member Angharad Blythe was postponed until August 2nd because she had received an English only summons.

The stipendiary Magistrate listening to the case said that he would make a formal complaint to South Wales Police about this since the English only summons went contrary to the authority's Welsh Language Scheme and the 1993 Welsh Language Act.Angharad Blythe is the latest member of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (Welsh Language Society) to appear before the courts after taking part in the organisation's direct action campaign for a new Welsh Language Act. Since October, over 40 members have taken part in this direct action campaign.The campaigning will continue at 2pm this Saturday (June 10), when many Welsh organisations will join forces to call for a new Welsh Language Act. This will happen at a large festival held in the Great Hall in Aberystwyth's Arts Centre. The festival is organised by Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg and is supported by organisations such as; Merched y Wawr, UCAC, Plaid Cymru, Cymuned, Cylch yr Iaith and UMCA.Among those taking part will be Ieuan Wyn Jones AM, leader of Plaid Cymru. In addition messages of support from Eleanor Burnham AM from the Liberal Democrats and Lisa Francis AM from the Conservative Party will be read out. There will also be contributions by members of Merched y Wawr, UCAC and UMCA as well as alternative presentations by well-known poets, bands and rap artists.The festival will be opened with a special ceremony to honour the contribution of Eileen Beasley to Welsh life. This is the woman who is widely acknowledged as the Rosa Parks of the Welsh language movement. The ceremony will be led by Professor Hywel Teifi Edwards.