The Freedom Shop Aotearoa

We have decided to cancel the film screening on Tuesday 25th as there is a much more urgent meeting to attend - Peace Action Wellington have called a public meeting in response to the call by the Independent Police Conduct Authority for new standalone legislation directed at pre-emptively policing protest.   The IPCA want a law that people should have to apply to the government for permission before protesting, and they also recommend that it should be a criminal offence to protest without permission. This is apparently to make the job of the NZ Police easier. We need to fight back against this! So please come along to the public meeting: 6.30pm Tuesday 25/2 Two/Fiftyseven -  level 2  57 Willis St in the city. Further information here:  https://peaceactionwellington.wordpress.com/ (And apologies for the cancellation of 'The Coconut Revolution' - we shall show it at a future date.)

Below is the Freedom Shop's position on the 'anti-mandate' protests. It’s easy to write off the ‘anti-mandate’ protests in Wellington and other towns. Given New Zealand has had few deaths and a smaller economic impact than most countries, the mandates may be one of the more justifiable of the many restrictions on freedom that the government has come up with and the politically clueless, erratic nature of the protest makes it easy to sneer at. However, judgement shouldn’t be made on the basis of the way the protest is being conducted – that’s a red herring. Sure, there seem to be a high proportion of nutters, and lots of counter-productive behaviour, but the real reason for opposing the protest is the awful politics. In terms of policy, the protests are a mess, not only are a hodge-podge of issues being raised, but no alternatives are being offered and a wide range of conspiracy theories are being promoted. Marty Verry, chief executive of timber and tourism company Red Stag,...