Jessy on mission to G8 protest (From Western Telegraph)

Jessy on mission to G8 protest

A 14-year-old pupil from Ysgol Bro Gwaun, Fishguard, travelled to the G8 protest in Scotland recently, to represent her local Plaid Cymru group, with the support of her school.

Jessy Ferguson, from Newport, survived violent protests on the streets of Edinburgh, then travelled back home on the morning of the London bombings, becoming stranded on trains for 13 hours without food or money.

An unfazed Jessy said: "The journey home was the worst part, but it was definitely worthwhile.

"I wanted the experience and it was to help children in Africa, to make poverty history and do something about global warming. Every little helps."

Jessy travelled to Scotland from London with her 22-year-old cousin Anna Monro, and stayed in a warehouse, the Convergence Centre, for demonstrators.

She learned about mass meetings, and how to portray your views through signs, which the G8 leaders could see. There were lists of rules and instructions, including what to do when dinner was ready or if police raided.

Jessy added: "The demonstration was great fun, but I did not agree with the hostility of some of the demonstrators.

"The police were good humoured, and I was part of a group who dressed as fairies to demonstrate, blew bubbles and talked to the police lines, trying to persuade them to let us through."

Jessy had the support of her school, where the teachers respected her reasons for going and allowed her to take her exams out of school hours, so as not to miss them.

Jessy's mum, Vicky Moller, said: "I was very proud of her and not initially worried as I know she is a very capable girl. She had money and a mobile phone and I knew her cousin would take care of her. It was her return journey which caused the worry. I was distraught when I knew she had become stuck on the trains due to the bombings."