from Merthyr to Newport to Carmarthen the battle for the Peoples Past of Resistance continues.

Yr Aflonyddwch Mawr  says from Merthyr to Newport to Carmarthen the battle for the Peoples Past of Resistance continues.

The recent destruction of the Newport Chartist mural touched the hearts and minds of the people of Wales.

The Newport Council acted in a very bureaucratic insensitive way demolishing the Chartist Mural and the people of Newport and Wales protested strongly that monuments to their history should be honoured and preserved.

Merthyr Council has also just been reminded of the deep feeling of the People of Wales for their working class history and a new artwork to commemorate the Merthyr Rising is promised after the temporary artwork associated with the Merthyr Rising has been taken down.

Our past struggles are important because they give us confidence in our future struggles, our past struggle in Merthyr and Newport helped develop socialist working class politics - a politics that is urgently required today to combat neo liberal Tory austerity,

The Carmarthen branch of the Yr Aflonyddwch Mawr has opened up a new front in our battle for our past by rejecting Sir Thomas Picton as one of the twelve heroes of Wales and we are exposing him as a symbol of Injustice of Empire and torture that he is  rightly seen as in many other parts of the world.

We demand that the banner of the Carmarthen People that stormed the Carmarthen workhouse in 1843 Justice and Lovers of Justice are we all replace the picture of Sir Thomas Picton in the Carmarthen courtroom has he is a global symbol of injustice and torture.

The battle for our past is not just an academic matter - it is also the hope of our future

Yr Aflonyddwch Mawr salutes the people of Merthyr and Newport and Carmarthen who have always been in the frontline of the democratic struggle in the past to step forward today and lead the struggle for democracy against Tory austerity  in 2015.

For we are in the words of the people of Carmarthen

Justice and Lovers of Justice are we all
 
Cyfiawnder a charwyr cyfiawnder ydym ni oll

                                                     Cyfiawnder a charwyr

                                                     cyfiawnder ydym ni oll

REPORT ON THE MERTHYR RISING MURAL DISPUTE

The Merthyr Rising mural that has been at the centre of a row after the council ordered it to be painted over will be replaced by the commission of a new piece of artwork, it has emerged.

Last week, we reported how the striking mural, painted on the back of a shop near to Penderyn Square, had become a focal point of the cultural festival, which saw hundreds flocking to the town centre to enjoy live music, films, theatre and debates.

But when the order came for the artwork to be removed by last weekend, many locals reacted with anger.

However, the council has now said it will ask the public what they would like to see replace the mural.

A spokesperson said: “Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council has approved a Public Art Strategy that has identified Penderyn Square as a location for public art that could possibly interpret the Merthyr Rising event.

“Arts Council for Wales has recently approved funding and an artist will be commissioned during the summer to take forward this project in conjunction with a comprehensive public consultation along with events for stakeholders over the next few months.”

Related content: Hundreds turn out as Merthyr Rising paints the town in a positive light


The organisers of Merthyr Rising said it was time to draw a line under the row and move on.

“Before we painted the mural, it was agreed with the shop-owner that the mural would be there on a temporary basis,” said one of the organisers, Lyn Williams.

“As much as we’d love for it to remain, we had to remove it to avoid any issues for the shop-owner, who has been more than kind enough in allowing us to use his property.

“The mural has served its purpose for the festival and, yes, it was well received by the general public – for which we are honoured – but we have to live up to our promise to the shop-owner, who has been caught up in all of this fracas and had been served notice by the council.

“The group who designed and produced this work, Hwyl, have already been encouraged by members of the council to pitch some ideas for a replacement in the near future.

“Members of Hwyl will paint over the mural and will now move on to what we hope will be a bigger and better piece of art for town.

“Now it’s time to draw a line under this, as we don’t want to cause further anxiety for parties who have been helpful, yet have had to put up with a lot of bother.

“The mural may disappear but Merthyr will still be rising!”

However, those who backed the original mural can now have the logo emblazoned on their hearts after festival organisers launched a range of T-shirts featuring the striking image.

The T-shirts can be purchased from www.merthyrrising.cottoncart.com