Truemors
I shall be writing this story over several days as the full picture becomes clearer.
In searching the internet for Tony Leamon + Cornwall + Kernow, a massive list of hits will draw up many web references to the incredible battle that has been going on in Cornwall.
Some of his story has been covered on this NP site.
On one side, Cornish 'home rule' and Celtic activist, Tony Leamon from Falmouth, arrested 11 months ago in a massive armed police raid on his home together with his supporters from Celtic communities around the world and on the other, the much discredited Devon & Cornwall Constabulary, frequently referred to as 'the Colonial Police' in Cornwall and to some extent the press, including the Sun newspaper.
Leamon, Branch Treasurer of the Celtic League in Cornwall, arrested by the 'Colonial Police' as a terror suspect has undergone over 20 hours of forced interrogation by terrorist and CID officers, had his Cornish flags, Cornish books, computer and a lot more besides seized and forensically examined. Down the abnormally long period of this investigation he has been kept on very restrictive bail and has answered that bail on numerous occasions at the request of the police who cancelled it three times at hours notice in order to keep the pressure on him.
What the Colonial Police and to some extent the muted Cornish press could never have known is the extent to which this story circled the globe, eventually leaking out to the English National Press. Although many articles have mocked the situation there appears to be a change in attitude in the press and recently the Times, Independent and Guardian newspapers of London and the tacky tabloid, the Sun, have run articles condemning the way Cornwall has suffered at the hands of English governance. Leamon's case drew support from Australia, the USA, Malaysia, Brittany, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and other places and messages and phone calls of support flooded the websites of not only the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary and the Police Authority, but also the Crown Prosecution Service and worldwide press. Even the gay community in Cornwall who have suffered terribly at the hands of the brutal and malicious Cornwall Colonial Police joined in with their support although Leamon himself is hetrosexual.
Websites were established to support him and he has been the subject of You Tube films and even approached by a private film maker for his story. Apparently, protests were planned outside of British Embassies overseas by friend and supporters.
Leamon was offered money and even a means to escape his homeland by well wishers but his courage shone through together with his innocence.
At 9.30PM during the evening of Wednesday 30th July, 2008, the Colonial Police finally bowed and realised that they were creating a martyr, a rebel with a cause and with enormous support. An officer was forced to admit publically that there was no evidence against their so called terror suspect and that he was an innocent man and free to move on with his life.
Messages of congratulations again flooded in inboxes and many are now pleading for Tony Leamon to take legal action for compensation against the authorities and those sections of the press which berated him and his stand.
A close supporter of Leamon who wished to remain unidentified at this time said:
'Eleven months later, and having confiscated his flags, his computer and John Angarrack (please google search this man - he's a Cornish academic who confounds the sytem with his legal calls for freedom for Cornwall) books, been interviewed three times and had two cancelled at the eleventh hour, he's been told he's done nothing wrong.
He knew that; we knew that, but hey, what's an armed squad, 20 hours of police interrogation and 11 months of hell, between friends...
He's at home shaking and crying, of relief and happiness, and will, in time, thank you all for the tremendous and on-going support you have shown, Celtic and other peoples from about the globe.
A great victory for justice and for Cornwall.'
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