The Geographies of Protest and Public Space in Mid-Nineteenth-Century London: The Hyde Park Railings Affair

Abstract

On 23 July 1866, a protest took place in Hyde Park, London, which provides a lens through which to analyse historical struggles over access to, and control of, public space. What began as a protest in favour of manhood suffrage became a conflict over the character and purpose of the park. It sparked public debates about which groups of people could access Hyde Park, and what activities were acceptable within it. These debates raise questions about who was entitled to make such decisions and the impact of these decisions on London's radical culture. This article uses newspaper articles and parliamentary debates to explore the dispute which unfolded both before and after the Hyde Park Railings Affair. In doing so, it furthers our understanding of the geographies of protest and the ongoing negotiation of public space.

Assemblies, Coalitions, and Conflicts Over Free Speech: From “Trespass” to “Encroachment” in Urban Space at Hyde Park, London, 1861–1962

“…However, the majority of protestors stayed in Hyde Park, gaining entry by forcing down the park railings at different points (Harrison 1965). Newspapers of the day, unsurprisingly, reported this act in near moral panic terms, decrying the violence and disorder of the League and the adverse impact it had on the leisurely class and their enjoyment and “quiet recreation” of Hyde Park (Awcock 2019:202).…”