Simply put, this is a day that demands our right to speak and use the Welsh language and it celebrates the efforts and sacrifices of the campaigners of the past to ensure that we can use the Welsh language today.
Looking back at the fifteenth century where it was insisted that Welsh was not a language for public administration, Welsh Language Rights Day recognizes the change brought about by campaigns to allow us to use Welsh in the classroom, in court and even on our television screens.
Aberystwyth was a starting point for campaigning for the rights of the Welsh language - back in 1963, this is where the first protest was held by Cymdeithas yr Iaith, an organization that fights for those rights. The protest was a response to the imprisonment of Gareth Miles because he refused to appear in court because he received an English-only summons. The protestors' intention was to be arrested themselves so that they too could refuse to appear before the court until they received the right to do so through the Welsh language.
It is important that we continue to celebrate the day and recognize all Aberystwyth students who have been an inherent part of campaigning for the language.
This year, we will hold an event in Pantycelyn Hall to mark Welsh Language Rights Day and celebrate new works of art on the walls of the hall of residence created using protest cards from some of Aberystwyth's notable Welsh language student protests.
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