Speaker’s Corner is located on the northeast edge of Hyde Park, near Marble Arch and Oxford Street. Here, open-air public speaking, debate, and discussion are allowed. Historical figures such as George Orwell often used the area for speeches to reinforce the idea of free speech.
The History of Speaker’s Corner
Between 1196 and 1783 (when the infamous Tyburn Gallows were dismantled) over 50,000 people were hanged. Every condemned person could make a final speech before their execution. Some confessed; others protested their innocence or criticized the authorities. For onlookers, an execution at Tyburn was a big social event. Londoners could purchase tickets to sit on wooden platforms to watch.
Eventually, the authorities decided the hangings were too rowdy and transferred them to Newgate Prison. The tradition of free speech, however, continued in Hyde Park. Over the years, numerous marches and protests have convened or terminated their routes in the park, often at Speakers' Corner.
In 1866, the government suppressed a meeting of the Reform League and locked Hyde Park. Demonstrators arrived at the park and after finding it locked, tore up hundreds of yards of railings to gain access. The result was three days of rioting.
In 1867, when a crowd of 150,000 defied another government ban and marched to Hyde Park, police and troops did not intervene. Spencer Walpole, the Home Secretary, resigned the next day.
In 1872, the British Parliament passed the Parks Regulation Act granting the right to meet and speak freely in Hyde Park and establishing a series of regulations governing the conduct of meetings.
From 1906 to 1914 the suffragettes held large and small meetings in Hyde Park as part of their campaign for votes for women. In the summer of 1906, they met weekly near Reformer's Tree. During the Women's Day of June 21, 1908, 250,000 women marched to Hyde Park to hear 20 different speakers on separate platforms. In 1913, the Police banned the women from meeting in the park, but the suffragettes defiantly continued to do so.
By the 1930s "soapbox" orators were to be found in marketplaces, street corners, and parks across the U.K.
Today, only Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park remains a bastion of free speech in the U.K.
I researched this article to learn where the concept of turning over a soapbox and speaking freely on any topic originated. That place is Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park, London, U.K.
Until next time, remember… a good friend will help you move. A true friend will help you move a body.
Steven J. Daniels
The Skeptical Investigator