The Freedom Shop Aotearoa

It's happened - we've moved. We're now next door at the front of Book Haven , a second-hand book shop that shares the alley way with the Opportunity for Animals . It's exciting stuff for both the OpShop and us: the OpShop gets more space and are able to expand and we get to be open seven days a week from now on! So please do come and check the new space out, and when you're visiting us also drop in and see what Opportunity for Animals are doing with their reclaimed space at the back.  And once more, thank you so much to all the people at Opportunity for Animals for the support you have given us over the years whilst we have lived in a corner of your Newtown shop. It was great, we may not have been able to survive without your support. Thank you.  

The Freedom Shop will soon be moving to a new location - next door! From mid May you will be able to find us inside Book Haven at 160 Riddiford St, Newtown, literally next door to Opportunity for Animals where we have been for the last 10 years. Until then the shop will be closed while we sort out the move. These will be exciting new times for the collective and the best thing is that we will be able to be open 7 days a week! There will be an official opening (COVID permitting), so keep an eye out for further announcements.  We would like to thank Opportunity for Animals for the incredible support they have given us over the years - we would not be around without you! See you all soon!

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,