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A political history of Britain in the places where it happened: parliament and palace, courts and counting houses, and the streets where people pushed back.
Not an eccentric tradition. A right that had to be forced out of the government of the day.
Protest & dissentFree to enter
Hyde Park was royal land opened to the public, and being allowed to walk in it did not mean being allowed to hold a meeting in it. In 1866 the Reform League, campaigning for the vote for working men, was locked out of a demonstration here; the crowd pulled the railings down and went in anyway, and who controlled public space became a national argument. Parliament gave way, and the Parks Regulation Act of 1872 recognised public speaking in this north-east corner. Socialists, suffragettes, anti-war campaigners, evangelists and cranks have used it ever since. Sunday is when it is alive. It is frequently ridiculous, and that is the point: the argument here is uncurated rather than commemorated.
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Data is compiled from public sources including OpenStreetMap, under the ODbL. Hours change often, so check before making a journey.