have only succeeded in rounding up some suspects shows the sympathy of large numbers of Welsh people for the motives of the arsonists. Rocket The buying of holiday homes undermines the Weshspeaking communities particular. In some of the 'wellsited' villages more than half houses belong outsiders, usually English, who use them at weekends, holidays and for retirement.
middle class English who move in often have little regard for wash language and traditions, treating them with arrogance and disdain, viewing them as 'quaint'. The intrusion of large numbers English has even influenced voting - for the first time Anglesey returned a Tory MP The biggest disruption resulting from the purchase of holiday homes is that it literally homelessness. particularly among young people. Buyers from England can pay much more 10r nomes Wall local workeIs, causing house prices to rocket out of the reach of local people.
Publicity Young people either have to live at home with their parents, or move away to new areas.
hardly accommodatioan available, the communities are broken up; villages become ghost towns, the Welsh language suffers and so on.
Despite the adverse publicity the conversion housing into holiday homes still apace. Official figures estimate that there will be a 10 per cent increase nonday nomes 1981; in some areas the rate is as high as 13 to 14 per cent. For parts of North Wales the rate is just included safeguards in the Bill to protect those rural areas. The clause applying to such areas states that council homes once burchased can only be re-sold to someone who has lived in the area for at least three years, or to the council. But despite requests the Tory in the Welsh Office has refused to say which areas classified as 'rural'.
The campaign holiday Wak jointly by Plaid Cymru Shelter, but they or attempt to build movement, confining of activity to lobbying MPs and trying to win over the media. was LOUS failure to achieve anything that led some people to turn arson as a tactic.
The turn to indicates the extent to which Plaid has lost the allegiance of Welsh nationalist militants. repeatedly failed to decisively on the affect Welsh people. Even in weeks when members and parliamentary „were police swoops, on no evidence other than Lael nationalist sympathies, leadership of Plaid failed to act. rented When Gwynfor president of Plaid, round to commenting on the police raids, he didn't condemn the purchase of holiday homes police harassment. police were 'over-reacting' was all he had to say OI The Labour Party has done no better. Leo Abse appeared TV to denounce tenants foli worrying homelessness and to denounce Nationwide for revealing thạt the aSOl attacks had sýmpathy in Wales. against begun and did 'THE police have called on mass scores of people without a their shred of Robert Griffiths, secretary campaign's Republican Movement, describing present activity in Wales.
also In a desperate get a lead on the holiday hom fires, the police have detained and arrested many people fo questioning. Incendiary bombs at the Tory offices in Shotton issues that and Cardiff have added to the Plaid frenzy of police activity The aimed at the leit of the ionalist movement, Socialist Republicans, and the Knowin militant language the Cymdeithas and Cymru At least 10 Welsh Socialist Republicans have been arrested Evans, and had their homes searched, finally got including Robert Three of Plaid Cymru's 1979 election candidates wales The wing Plaid members -also arrested.
The denied detainees access to solicitors and have retained their possessions like address books, files and documents although about nol llakig any Chlarges Wildlsoever. 'Suspects' have been picked wide up coming off work, at home with their families, going.out the day and night.
evidence', said consider 'extremist'.
Socialist police 'Search down like confetti. attempt to harassment has been the Welsh Ilal groups Adfer Griffiths. in South discount. — all recognised as leftSpecial Branch have them as worthless.
launch campaign innuendo, Already for the evening, at all times of And what have the Special Branch given? None except the Finance Union. people concerned have certain political views, which the police also MacLochainn, As Robert Griffiths says: South warrants are coming The police have obtained them. so easily, 'SAVE Wales' badges. Send a stamped addressed envelope and 20p to Cardiff Socialist Challenge, c/o 11 Berthwin St, Canton, Cardiff. Orders over 20, 10 per cent you might as well dispense wit The polic come and go as they want.
Clearly, the Special Branch movements. are using tne recent comos and fires as a pretext to gather information on the Welsh nat- the ionalist and socialist left, and to through the media a •of . , slander. and cars searched, Griffiths has been sacked from he Banner insatie and usualle The Special Branch have singled out Gerry a Provisional member has been Wales. He has detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The intent- to deport C MaS Gerry and prevent him from raising the Irish struggle in the labour and national In North and West Wales police activity has been aimed Welsh-speaking entire predominantly population. cars searched, rest in ane whilst Robert. towns and villages door-to-, door enquiries are carried out.
In Blaenau Festiniog, the police ended their doorstep interrogations with 'Who did vote Any Plaidhe Cymru voter, any person with known nationalist sympathies, and "terrorist' 'arsonist' in police eyes But the wall of silence from the Welsh people shows where their sympathies lie. Thirty honey domes we decr d.r.. and still the police have no lead. Even while their round-up was underway, more holiday homes went up in flames.
Campaigns to oppose the police harassment are already Newport and Pontypool. public meeting is planned this week in Cardiff by the Welsh Campaign for Political. and Civil Liberties; a letter of protest is being signed by prominent trade unionists and politicians; a detailed report on Special Branch and police practices will be published within two weeks; support resolutions are going to union branches.
Every day, Newport and Pontypool campaigners are picketing the police station where Gerry is being held Wales' wall of silence is the, about to become, a wall of protest and condemnation. Socialist Challenge 17 April 1980. Paga 5