The Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg has been arrested after spray painting the Welsh Government offices in Cardiff as part of a campaign for six policy changes in response to the Census results which showed a decline in the number of Welsh speakers.

The protest is part of a general Cymdeithas campaign to put pressure on the Labour Government to act urgently for the Welsh language. Cymdeithas yr Iaith members are calling on the Government to adopt six basic policy changes, such as Welsh-medium education for all, fair funding for the language, and a new planning system for the benefit of our communities. Robin Farrar, Chair of the language group, painted the words “Act” and “6 things” on the wall of the Government offices in Cathays Park, Cardiff.

In October 2013, the conclusions of the Cynhadledd Fawr - the Welsh Government’s consultation on the state of the language following the Census results - among the main recommendations were the need: to increase financial investment in the language; radical changes to the teaching of Welsh as a second language; and changes to planning law. Instead, the following month, the First Minister announced he would be launching a campaign to encourage people to use Welsh five times a day. The Government’s draft planning bill did not mention the Welsh language once.

Giving his reasons for the action, Robin Farrar, Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg commented: “Well over a year since the Census results, the lack of Government action is unforgivable. There’s a crisis facing the Welsh language. While we in Cymdeithas has called for six policy changes in order to improve the state of the language, Carwyn Jones continues to drag his feet. We continue to believe that our unique national language can thrive over the years to come because of people’s genuine desire to support the language. With positive campaigning and political will, we can do it.

“Almost a year since he held his ‘Cynhadledd Fawr’, he’s still not acted on the findings of the consultation. indeed, the Government is acting contrary to the main recommendations by publishing a Planning Bill which doesn’t mention the language once and cutting investment for its promotion. For over a year, we have written letters, held meetings, taken part

in conferences and endless conversations with the Government. Now, with this civil disobedience, we are calling on the Welsh Government to take progressive and constructive steps to ensure everyone gets to live in Welsh.”