Demo to demand rights for Welsh Language

Menna Machreth Rali CaerdyddOver 300 people attended a Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg demo outside the Senedd building in Cardiff Bay today. The rally was arranged to draw attention to the fact that the LCO on the Welsh language in its present form does not go far enough.Menna Machreth, Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg said:"The Order as it stands now will not make the necessary changes to the every day lives of the people of Wales. All legislative powers concerning the Welsh language should be transferred from Westminster to Wales. We are pleased that so many prominent people in Wales have expressed their support for our demands by agreeing to speak at the rally or by adding their names to an advert supporting the rally."Hywel Teifi Edwards who also addressed the rally said:"It is us the Welsh people who created the language problem, and it is us, the Welsh people, through our Senedd who will solve that problem."TV presenter Angharad Mair told the crowd during the rally:"I'm calling on people like myself who have been lucky enough to benefit from prosperous careers in Wales through the medium of Welsh - thanks to years of brave campaigning by others, to show their support for this important cause to safeguard the future of the Welsh language. It's imperative that we tell our members of parliament, who have been elected to represent us that we feel strongly that the only place where it's morally just to make decisions on language matters is here in Wales. We need a new progressive law to give the Welsh language full equal status in Wales to safeguard its future for the next generations."Jake Griffiths, Leader of the Wales Green Party said:"The Welsh language is a wholly welsh issue and with the continuing devolution of powers to the Welsh Assembly it is only right that full law making powers over the Welsh language rest in Wales with the Welsh Assembly rather than in Parliament."Another speaker at the event, Catrin Dafydd, said:"With ten years of devolution behind us, the time has come, to ensure that we are allowed to legislate on a matter which is unique to Wales in our own country. The Welsh language belongs to all those who have chosen to make Wales their home, and it is these people and their government who should have the right to decide on the future of that language and no one else."Plaid Cymru MP Adam Price also addressed the rally.The Conservative Party and Liberal democrats sent letters of support confirming that they agree with Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg that all legislative powers concerning the Welsh language should be transferred to Wales.