The circular black and white floor mosaic, unveiled in 2000 by the politician, Tony Benn, commemorates The Reformers' Tree. This was an oak tree which became the focus of protests in 1866 by the Reform League, a group campaigning to give all adult men the right to vote.
During one protest the Reformers' Tree was set alight and the charred stump became a notice board for more rallies. These included a protest against a parliamentary bill that tried to stop the Royal Parks being used for public meetings. Eventually, in 1872, the government established a pedestal, exactly 150 yards from the Reformers' Tree, where it was lawful to hold public meetings. Since then, people from all over the world have gathered in Hyde Park to listen and argue their case.
