Carmarthenshire: Welsh language campaigners demand action at rally

About 250 people attended the rally

Hundreds of people have taken part in a rally calling for more action to protect the Welsh language.

Welsh language campaign group Cymdeithas yr Iaith held the protest in Carmarthenshire, an area which has seen the largest decline in Welsh speakers.

The number of speakers in the county dropped by 4.1%, latest Census data shows, after a 6.4% drop in 2011.

The Welsh government said there were commitments to create 23 Welsh-medium primary schools in the next 10 years.

The number of Welsh speakers across Wales has fallen in the past decade, with fewer children speaking the language, according to the 2021 Census.

Protesters left seven demands on the windows of the Welsh government offices in Carmarthen on Saturday.

They included a new property act and a Welsh education act.

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Dafydd Iwan sang Yma o Hyd outside the building and said we "shouldn't be despondent" about the future of the language as "there were signs of hope".

He added there was greater support for the Welsh language but called for more Welsh-medium schools to be established across Wales.

Iconic Welsh singer Dafydd Iwan spoke to protesters at the rally, urging people not to be "despondent"

Sioned Elin, of Cymdeithas yr Iaith, said: "If we don't succeed in turning the tide now, it is unlikely that there will be any natural Welsh speaking communities left in Carmarthenshire by the next Census.

"But it is certainly not a time to despair, it is a time to act. We will make seven demands on the Welsh government as the basis for an emergency plan of active steps to revive our Welsh language and communities."

A Welsh government spokesperson said: "Welsh language schools are crucial in our ambition of one million speakers by 2050, and every county in Wales has an important part to play.

"Every local authority through their Welsh in Education Strategic Plans have committed to ambitious targets over the next 10 years to increase provision of childcare and education through the medium of Welsh.

"There are commitments to create 23 new Welsh medium primary schools across Wales over the next 10 years."