Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by Jacob Mchangama
“In 1649, a group of English radicals sent a petition to the House of Commons. In it, they lamented the licensing of printing — which allowed the government to ‘pre-censor’ books and pamphlets — as well as the harsh punishments for publishing unlicensed or ‘scandalous’ ones. The radicals warned that this kind of censorship would usher in a tyranny, and they insisted that it ‘seems altogether inconsistent with the good of the Commonwealth, and expresly [sic] opposite and dangerous to the liberties of the people.’ These radicals, known as the Levellers, paid dearly for their defiance. Their leaders were repeatedly imprisoned, and their demands for near-universal male suffrage, religious freedom, and unrestricted speech were crushed. Yet their bold vision left a legacy. … Centuries later, it seems Britain is in dire need of a new generation of Levellers.” (09/08/25)
https://www.thefire.org/news/united-kingdom-needs-new-generation-levellers