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View Full Version : The Celtic Cornish – Persecuted, mocked, reviled and ignored.



Beorn
08-30-2009, 04:45 PM
When one thinks of Cornwall, or Kernow as its indigenous Celtic people refer to it, images of the Eden Project, the Tate Modern Art Gallery, surfing beaches and sunny holidays come to mind. The haunt of celebrity chefs and wealthy second home owners, the thought of it being a long forgotten Celtic Nation in its own right rarely enters the minds of visitors or incomers.
It is considered a County of England by most, a charming little backwater, a place for relaxing on the beach, for fish and chips, pasties, caravan and camping parks, cheap and cheerful holidays with beach buckets and sandcastles and more recently exclusive hotels, expensive designer restaurants and celebrity multi million pound houses.

Scratch away the surface however, and a completely different Kernow emerges. Qualifying for European Objective One Funding being one of Europe’s poorest regions, dependent on poorly paid and transient holiday jobs, where locals work long hours often paid cash in hand and so securing no legal protection, with no affordable housing, and less per capita public spending than other parts of Britain, chronic health and dental problems, with the Objective One money being administered from afar and being spent propping up the very tourist attractions that were intended to bring prosperity, where the will of 50,000 and more people who petitioned the Westminster Government calling for a Cornish Executive Assembly was completely ignored, where despite 35,000 people completing the last population census by wilfully and deliberately writing themselves in as ‘Cornish’ but being refused any recognition by the Westminster controlled Office for National Statistics by the granting to them of a specific tick box, denied any education in schools touching upon Cornwall’s Celtic past which has been airbrushed away as an inconvenience, Kernow is today for many people a very unhappy place.

Persecution by the authorities.

Recently, an increasing authoritarian police force controlled by Exeter, Devon based Chief Constable Stephen OTTER who acting as a lap dog to political masters, has been victimising Cornish Activists on an unparalleled scale, setting up a special unit of armed and armoured officers who mercilessly raid Cornish homes with the support of dogs, helicopters and guns seizing the well known black and white crossed flag of St Piran of the Tinners of Kernow , itself subject of lengthy battles by Cornish patriots with Westminster politicians for permission to even fly it, books written by John Angarrack, a Cornish writer who has challenged the current English rule of this most ancient Celtic Land which are openly available to buy in bookshops, Cornish Language material and computers in scenes reminiscent of 1930’s Nazi Germany.
Arrests made on very tenuous evidence have resulted in hour after hour of pressured interrogation where the police have stretched their now considerable powers to the limit with people being defended by sub standard legal aid solicitors and then placing terrified suspects on extended police bail for several months at a time so extending the fear and stress and retaining their property have become common.
One recent such arrest is graphically described in a Celtic League press release and reproduced in part as follows:

"I was woken by my 94 year old father at about 7:20 on Sept 6th. I
put my dressing gown on, and walked down stairs to see 3 police men
in my porch way. They asked me to step outside, then arrested me for
"possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear and harm"

I was taken indoors, and allowed to get dressed. I constantly pointed
out that my dad needed taking care of. I told them the only "weapon"
I possessed was a Katana, which is on my wall.

I was taken from the house and driven to Camborne (the DS driving
didn't know the way to Camborne!), and put in a cell. I asked, and
was given the codes of conduct.

Again, while in my cell I demanded that they make sure my dad was
taken care of - they said he was. I found out on my release they had
got my neighbour's teenage son to look after him! He, my dad, is 94,
unsteady on his legs, has a heart condition, and easily upset at the
best of times.

When the duty solicitor arrived I was interviewed (about 2pm), and
told them I was a member of numerous Celtic organisations, and monitored
a few websites. I said that I knew nothing of any damaged caused to
any property, and was not involved in any illegal activity. After
that I gave them the "no comment" bit. I was questioned about stoning
Rick Steins house, making threatening phone calls, being in a picture
and being a member of the CNLA, They showed me my camera , and a
tiny amount of cannabis ( well below "personal use" levels that I
use because of my ME). They seemed more concerned about the dope than
anything else.

While I was there I asked a few times about getting my proscribed
medication, but was never given it.

I was released at about 5pm with no money, and no way to get back
to Falmouth. I had to track down a friend for a lift home. I was
told they took 20 bags of evidence (I have not seen any receipt for
these goods) Some stuff I KNEW they took:

2 St Pirans flags
My computer, as well as one I was REPAIRING FOR A FRIEND ( I HAD TO
BUY HIM A NEW ONE TO REPLACE IT)
Items of clothing
My filofax
My mobile phones
The John Angarak book "Our future is History"
All my software
My photograph CDs, and some computer games
Most of my music collection which was on CD
My USB memory stick from my wallet, along with my Blue tooth Dongle
(there was also about £20 missing from it as well- but to try and
prove that would be impossible)
My new digital camera given to me as an early birthday present (my
birthday was the day before the arrest.
My cannabis

I'm sure other stuff as gone as well, but can't remember what."

One young 18 year old Cornish activist has described how, when arrested and interrogated by the police, he was asked questions about events which had occurred in Kernow before he had even been born! He was then asked a conjectural question about Arab terrorism and his views and informed that if he did not answer the questions correctly, he would be refused bail and detained indefinitely under the new draconian anti-terror laws. Under such circumstances it is not at all surprising that many are afraid or too confused to enter official complaints.
Cornish Activists attended every ‘workshop’ of the Office for National Statistics held in England and Wales and made such an impression that the ONS organised such a workshop in Truro. Even the Director of Statistics was amazed at the heavy and intimidating police presence at the packed event attended not only by lay people but by Cornish politicians and community leaders.
The Cornish people have been traditionally suspicious of authority, but increasing numbers are becoming hostile to an apparently fascist police force.

Mocked by the press and media.

Cornish people are also increasingly sickened at having to face the mockery and insult of a hostile press. In one recent article in the Western Daily Press dated 28th November, 2007 and subsequently published on the internet, the question of a massive demand by the Cornish people for Bank Holiday status to be accorded to one of Kernow’s premier and best recognised Saints, Piran, the piece openly referred to the Cornish as ‘Pasty Eaters’, asks ‘When is someone going to put the Cornish in their place?’, compares the now officially recognised Celtic language of Kernow as sounding like ‘someone speaking Urdu with a mouth full of nails’, mocks and questions the whole following of Saint Piran, calls the Cornish people malingerers and workshy, of being scroungers and rattling begging bowls. Communication with the editor of the paper drawing to his attention the upset caused by the article has thus far gone unanswered.

In a Guardian article which primarily concerned the purchase of outlandishly priced second homes on Kernow’s North Coast, Cornish festivals were mocked and the Cornish people depicted as a group of ‘cider swilling’ natives more at home in the ditch. A subsequent complaint to the Press Complaints Commission exonerated the newspaper and journalist in question.
Recently, a student of the language whilst driving a bus from Kernow into Plymouth was questioned about his use of the language and when attempting to explain it was called ‘an inbred, straw sucking yokel ‘by the passenger making the enquiry.
The newly resurgent Cornish Language merits a small Sunday slot on BBC Radio Cornwall and no significant coverage at all on the main stream and publically funded BBC channels. Small wonder that an increasing number of Cornish Activists are threatening to withhold their TV Licence fee.

As with the police, many Cornish people now wonder whether that if these insults were applied to other National, Ethnic, Linguistic and Religious minorities and groups, the same lack of interest by the police, Press Complaints Authority and Commission for Racial Equality would be tolerated.

Time for a change.

For how much longer the indigenous Cornish people will put up with the above and other issues and examples of institutional racism and persecution is a matter of conjecture. Already, there are signs that some are prepared to fight back by vocally complaining and disobeying some laws. This was the case with the Cornish flag of Saint Piran, which many flew illegally until the Westminster authorities finally backed down and amended the law. Many Cornish have not been afraid to openly express their dislike of the English flag of Saint George which brings to the forefront of Celtic consciousness the historical bloodbaths inflicted on the Cornish by the Church of England and the English Monarchy in the past. Now many may withhold their TV licences, refuse to complete the 2011 Census Form and even to refuse to pay Council Tax.

Recently, even the Bishop of Truro, following years of pressure, expressed regret for English repressions in Kernow’s past and stated that Kernow was saddled with ‘the English problem’. Perhaps he had in mind a celebration of Saint George which took place in Truro, Kernow at the behest of a prominent English Royalist and held quite bizarrely during ‘Piran-tide’ as though meant to inflame the Cornish even more. A protest occurred outside the City Hall which drew substantial local support and which left the then Mayor and the incoming organiser in no doubt as to the level of insult caused.

In an attempt to help the Celtic Cornish, a private foundation has now been established to help those Cornish and indeed other Celtic peoples to protect and defend themselves from an increasingly authoritarian Westminster. It is a pleasure to note that Scotland has achieved autonomy with an approaching referendum on complete independence; Wales follows politically with its own Assembly which grows in stature and with the Chief Officer of North Wales Police even openly supporting the Welsh language and allowing for a distinctive Welsh police uniform. The situation with the Celts of Northern Ireland is similarly bright and the hope is for a unified Ireland at the earliest possible time and the Manx peoples also internally self govern, free from the strictures of London based politicians. As in Kernow, the Celtic Breton people struggle under the imperial and centralist rule of the French state and so are similarly placed to the Cornish.

The support of all Celtic peoples for the repressed of Cornwall and other Celtic regions is of primary concern to many and already funding has been provided to help one individual in Kernow to obtain proper legal support. We all remember that what is now happening in Kernow has happened to the Celtic peoples of Ireland, Scotland and Wales all of whom have fought hard to achieve proper rights and recognition in the face of overwhelming odds in the form of the Westminster Imperialist Government. We hope that more support will follow now for the Cornish people from their brothers and sisters in the other Celtic Nations.

Source (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/2450)

Albion
04-05-2010, 11:33 PM
The Cornish should shut up. If they want all that which they keep banging on about then they should pay their way like the English.
If there's no work then make work, stop relying on the tourist industry and start small companies.
Seriously, i'm begining to wonder if its the Germanic work ethic that is why England and Scotland do so much better than Wales and Cornwall.

a device
04-05-2010, 11:48 PM
I don't have much sympathy for the people of Cornwall.
Their economy may be in the doldrums, but that is largely due to their dependence on summer tourism, and lack of entrepreunership, as Celtabria already mentioned.

Some regions in Western Europe seem to have taken the example of hopeless, useless 3rd Worldians, and claimed victimhood in recent times.
Bawling like hungry brats in filthy cradles for food, help, handouts and bottom-wiping by their respective Governments.

The tin mines down there are now, once again economically viable. So fire them up!
Can you imagine how 'the London Blitz' would've gone, if every adult demanded compensation from the War Fund, and every child was allocated 24 months of psychotherapy to get over the trauma?

I don't hear Northumberland or Cumbria moaning about hard times.
The Cornish live in, arguably, the most beautiful, clement, little corner of Britain, with negligable non-European immigration.

Some things are more important than money.