Speakers’ Corner

The northeastern corner of Hyde Park is traditionally the spot for oratorical acrobatics and soapbox ranting. It’s the only place in Britain where demonstrators can assemble without police permission, a concession granted in 1872 as a response to serious riots 17 years before when 150, 000 people gathered to demonstrate against the Sunday Trading Bill before Parliament. Speakers’ Corner was frequented by Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, George Orwell and William Morris; if you’ve got something to get off your chest, you can get rid of it here on Sunday, although it’ll be largely loonies, religious fanatics and hecklers you’ll have for company.