Editing Welsh Language Society (section)

==History==

=== 1960s ===
[[File:Protest gyntaf Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg ar Bont Trefechan, Aberystwyth (24825457959).jpg|thumb|250px|The first protest at Pont Trefechan in [[Aberystwyth]], 1963]]
The Society was established in name on 4 August 1962 at [[Pontarddulais]] in [[South Wales]], but did not have a constitution until 18 May 1963. The formation was at least partly inspired by the annual [[BBC Wales]] Radio Lecture given on 13 February 1962 by [[Saunders Lewis]] and entitled ''[[Tynged yr iaith]]'' (The fate of the language).<ref>Davies, ''A History of Wales'', Penguin, 1994, {{ISBN|0-14-014581-8}}, p 649: "the catalyst (for its formation) was the radio lecture given by Saunders Lewis on 13/2/62"</ref> Historian [[John Davies (historian)|John Davies]] has said that the lecture was "the catalyst" for the formation of the Welsh Language Society,  and the start of a period of direct-action agitation to enhance the status of the Welsh language.<ref>Davies, John, ''A History of Wales'', Penguin, 1994, {{ISBN|0-14-014581-8}}, p 649</ref> Its direct effect on the formation of the Society is described in a history of that society.<ref>Phillips, D, ''The History of the Welsh Language Society'' in Jenkins, Geraint. H., and Williams, Mari A., (eds) ''Let's do our best for the ancient tongue'', UoW Press, 2000, {{ISBN|0-7083-1658-1}}, p 467</ref>

The Society's first public protest took place in February 1963 in [[Aberystwyth]] town centre, where members pasted posters on the post office in an attempt to be arrested and go to trial.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/oct/30/dr-tedi-millward-welsh-language-protest-aberystwyth | title=Dr Tedi Millward, at the first Welsh language protest, Aberystwyth, 2 February 1963| newspaper=The Guardian| date=2015-10-30| last1=Booth| first1=Hannah}}</ref> When it became apparent that they would not be arrested for the posters, they then moved to Pont Trefechan in Aberystwyth, where around seventy members and supporters held a [[sit-in]] blocking road traffic for half an hour.<ref>Dylan Philps. "history of the welsh language society" in The Welsh Language in the Twentieth Century. Ed. by G.H. Jenkins and M.W. Williams. Page 471</ref>

The first campaigns were for official status for the language, with a call for Welsh-language tax returns, schools, electoral forms, post office signs, birth certificates and so on. This was done through the formation of 'cells', the first operating in [[Bangor, Gwynedd|Bangor]] in April 1963 by [[Owain Owain]] who also founded and edited the Society's only publication, ''[[Tafod y Ddraig]]'' ('The Dragon's Tongue') and designed the logo.

In 1968 a sit-in was held at the news and television studio and the newsroom department of the [[BBC]] at Broadway, [[Cardiff]], by members of the Society. The sit-in was calling for the BBC to use more Welsh.<ref>https🖉{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/nov/30/welsh-bbc-studios-protest-sit-in-language-1968|title=Sit-in at BBC Welsh studios – archive, 30 November 1968|author=Guardian Staff|date=November 30, 2016|website=the Guardian}}</ref>

=== 1970s and 1980s ===
[[File:Protest Cymdeithas yr Iaith, 1972.jpg|thumb|250px|Protestors dump English-only road signs at the steps of the [[Welsh Office]] in [[Cathays Park]], [[Cardiff]]. This started in 1970 and ended in 1972.]]

The society believes in [[direct action]], and in the course of its campaigns over a thousand people have appeared before the courts for their part in various campaigns, many receiving prison sentences, making it Britain's largest protest group since the [[suffragette]]s – in terms of fines and the numbers sent to prison.<ref>Dylan Phillips, <nowiki>'</nowiki>''Trwy ddulliau chwyldro..? Hanes Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg''<nowiki>'</nowiki>, Gomer, 1998, {{ISBN|1-85902-594-3}} p 257</ref><ref>Clive Betts, 'Inside the Welsh Language Society', [[Western Mail (Wales)|Western Mail]], 5/7/1977</ref>  Typical actions include painting slogans on buildings owned by businesses, and other minor criminal damage.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/1104236.stm|title=Four charged after language rally|date=6 January 2001|via=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/1811162.stm|title=Five arrested at language rally|date=9 February 2002|via=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/|title=North Wales News – Latest news, pictures, video – North Wales Live|website=www.dailypost.co.uk}}</ref>

At the beginning of the 1970s, the society began to campaign for a Welsh-language radio and television service. [[Radio Cymru]] was established in 1977, but in 1979 the [[First Thatcher ministry|Conservative government under Margaret Thatcher]] announced that it would not keep its election promise to establish a separate Welsh-language television channel. Some protesters refused to buy television licences and others climbed up television masts and invaded television studios.<ref>[http://www.llgc.org.uk/ymgyrchu/Iaith/TyngedIaith/index-e.htm#Broadcasting ''Tynged yr Iaith'', The Welsh Language Society, Broadcasting in Welsh, The Welsh Language Act] on [http://www.llgc.org.uk/ymgyrchu/index-e.htm ''Ymgyrchu''!], a website by the [[National Library of Wales]]</ref>

There was much damage to radio and television transmitters:
* [[Blaenplwyf transmitting station|Blaenplwyf transmitter]] was damaged on Monday 7 February 1977, costing £25,000, [[Dyfed–Powys Police]] arrested the leader at his home at [[Cenarth]];<ref>''Liverpool Daily Post'' Wednesday 9 February 1977, page 1</ref><ref>''Liverpool Daily Post'' Thursday 17 March 1977, page 3</ref> there was another break-in on Monday 19 November 1979, which included [[John Rowlands (author)|John Rowlands]] and [[Geraint H. Jenkins]]<ref>''Liverpool Daily Post'' Tuesday 20 November 1979, page 1</ref>
* [[Waltham transmitting station|Waltham]] was turned off from 10 pm on Thursday 2 November 1978; the group had broken into [[The Wrekin transmitting station|The Wrekin]] on the same night, but had turned off the wrong switch.<ref>''Leicester Mercury'' Friday 3 November 1978, page 1</ref>
* [[Midhurst transmitting station|Midhurst]] was damaged on Thursday 8 February 1979; BBC1 transmissions were restored by Friday but BBC2 took three more days;<ref>''Liverpool Daily Post'' Saturday 10 February 1979, page 1</ref><ref>''Western Daily Press'' Saturday 10 February 1979, page 4</ref> it caused £15,700 of damage; 23 year old Hywel Pennar, a student at [[University of Wales, Lampeter|St David's Lampeter]], was jailed for 9 months; he was the son of [[Pennar Davies]], the Principal from 1959 to 1979 of [[Swansea Theological College]]<ref>''Liverpool Daily Post'' Thursday 23 October 1980, page 9</ref>
* [[Sudbury transmitting station|Sudbury]] in Suffolk was damaged on Thursday 15 March 1979 with £20,000 of damage.<ref>''Liverpool Daily Post'' Friday 16 March 1979, page 1</ref>

The government reversed its position and a Welsh-language TV channel, [[S4C]], was launched in 1982.

=== 2000s ===
[[File:'Y Gymraeg', Cymdeithas yr iaith Gymraeg - Welsh political poster.jpg|thumb|A political poster used in the early 1970s depicting a judge wearing a garment styled as the flag of the United Kingdom, trampling over the words; 'Y Gymraeg' (The Welsh [language]) which was created after 11 Welsh speaking protestors were arrested]]
On 24 July 2004 (five weeks after launching), [[Radio Carmarthenshire]]'s studios in [[Narberth, Pembrokeshire|Narberth]] were invaded by eleven activists from the Welsh Language Society. They were protesting against Radio Carmarthenshire's decision to limit the amount of its Welsh-language programming. The offices and studios were stormed during a live broadcast, taking Radio Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire off-air for fifteen minutes. According to [[Keri Jones]] (who later branded the members of the group as "[[terrorist]]s"), his head of sales was injured, and needed hospital treatment for a fractured wrist sustained during the scuffles which ensued. Police arrested eleven activists, and subsequently released them pending further enquiries. The chair of the movement Steffan Cravos was later found not guilty of causing grievous bodily harm.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/cymdeithas-chief-cleared-of-gbh-2368399 | title=Cymdeithas chief cleared of GBH| date=2005-11-18}}</ref>

The society claimed that 50% of the population in Carmarthenshire speak Welsh as a first language, but less than 5% of Radio Carmarthenshire's output was in Welsh. As a result of complaints and pressure from the society and individuals, the United Kingdom's broadcasting watchdog [[Ofcom]] issued Radio Carmarthenshire with a 'yellow card' warning in late 2004; any further claims{{clarify|date=November 2016}} of the station not conforming to its licence agreement would result in the station being severely reprimanded by Ofcom.

=== Response to the 2011 Census results ===
Following the 2011 Census results, the group held a series of rallies across Wales. In the first rally in {{lang|cy|[[Caernarfon]]}} in December 2012, the group published its ''{{lang|cy|{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20130319004228/http://cymdeithas.org/livingmanifesto Maniffesto Byw]}} }}'' (Living Manifesto) which outlined tens of policies designed to strengthen the language. The society launched the "''{{lang|cy|Dwi eisiau byw yn Gymraeg}}''" (I want to live in Welsh) slogan at the same rally.

On 6 February 2013 and 4 July 2013, deputations of the society met First Minister Carwyn Jones to press for urgent policy changes in light of the Census results.

A revised version of the ''{{lang|cy|Maniffesto Byw}}'' was published in July 2013, following a public consultation and an extraordinary general meeting when a number of amendments to the manifesto were adopted.

In August 2013, the group wrote to the First Minister Carwyn Jones, giving him six months to state his intention to deliver {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20140327234555/http://cymdeithas.org/6things six policy changes]}} for the benefit of the language:
# ''{{lang|cy|Addysg Gymraeg i Bawb}}'' (Welsh-medium Education for All)
# ''{{lang|cy|Tegwch Ariannol i'r Gymraeg}}'' (Financial Fairness for the Welsh language)
# ''{{lang|cy|Gweinyddu'n fewnol yn Gymraeg}}''  (Internal Government in Welsh)
# ''{{lang|cy|Safonau Iaith i Greu Hawliau Clir}}'' (Language Standards to Create Clear Rights)
# ''{{lang|cy|Trefn Cynllunio er budd ein Cymunedau}}'' (A Planning System for the benefit of our Communities)
# ''{{lang|cy|Y Gymraeg yn greiddiol i Ddatblygu Cynaliadwy}}'' (Welsh as central to Sustainable Development)

Carwyn Jones had made no such statement of intent by 1 February 2014, and the group started a direct action campaign and held a series of protests across the country.

=== Ongoing campaigns ===

* In 2015, the society began calling for Welsh medium education to be extended to every school pupil in Wales, to 'give them the ability to communicate and work' in the language. This call was supported by the linguist [[David Crystal]] and academic [[Christine James]].<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cymrufyw/32874443 | title=Galw am 'addysg Gymraeg i bawb'| newspaper=BBC Cymru Fyw| date=2015-05-25}}</ref> These calls include a call for an Education Act for Welsh language education for all.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Deddf Addysg Gymraeg i Bawb |url=https://cymdeithas.cymru/sites/default/files/Deddf%20Addysg%20Gymraeg%20i%20Bawb.pdf}}</ref>
* Sustainable communities; a property act to help tackle the [[Housing and construction in Wales|housing crisis]] and second home issue.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Property Act Proposals Cymdeithas yr Iaith 2022 {{!}} Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg |url=https://cymdeithas.cymru/dogfen/property-act-proposals-cymdeithas-yr-iaith-2022 |access-date=2023-01-15 |website=cymdeithas.cymru}}</ref>
* The [[Welsh devolution#Broadcasting|devolution]] of broadcasting to Wales.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Yr Achos dros Ddatganoli Darlledu i Gymru {{!}} Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg |url=https://cymdeithas.cymru/papurdatganoli |access-date=2023-01-15 |website=cymdeithas.cymru}}</ref>