The United Kingdom has a free speech problem. Government authorities are threatening to jail people over 'hateful' retweets and lock up anyone who merely looks at a riot or protest.

But it's not new. This video -- dating back to 2012, based on a pending Community Note -- was dealing with Section 5 of the Public Order Act, which made insults a crime. Rowan Atkinson, better known as Mr. Bean or for the 'Blackadder' series, was one of the people who wanted to reform Section 5.

Watch his statement in defense of free speech:

It's worth repeating, because nothing has changed between 2012 and now.

Except the UK government has gotten more Orwellian.

It needs to be defended, ceaselessly.

Right? That's why this is making the rounds again.

He is a treasure.

He sure does.

He does have a point.

We've always been fans, it just makes us like him more.

And in the 12 years since this speech was given and now, that's precisely what happened.

What a wild timeline.

'Blackadder' is a fun show, if you haven't seen it.

Totally based.

An absolute homerun.