A retired English teacher from Jacksonville is hoping to promote free speech on the city’s downtown square.
Pat Kennedy is inviting local residents to the northwest corner of the square, next to copies of the Bill of Rights, Constitution, and Declaration of Independence. He plans on holding events for people to voice their opinions on local, national and international issues on the first Tuesday of each month.
Kennedy informally declared the corner of the square a “speakers’ corner” in July. He said he was inspired by a 1971 visit to London’s Hyde Park, which has one of the world’s most well-known speakers’ circles.
What made him set one up over 50 years after that visit was the “interesting state” of the U.S. in 2026 and people’s strong opinions on things like data centers, gas prices, and solar power, he said.
“I can tell, as someone who goes out in public, the people feel very strongly about these things,” Kennedy said. “And, more so than years past, that’s become pretty important.”
Kennedy’s events have not been formally sanctioned by the city. However, he said freedom of speech means that he and others will be able to speak their minds.
“I’ve got the right to go down on the square and let people know this is what I think is going on,” he said. “And if they want to get up and speak and say exactly the opposite, that’s okay.”
Kennedy’s first event will take place 10 a.m. on Oct. 10.
