New Freeland, Revisited

I wrote an article a couple of years ago about a new group based on the Sovereign Citizen (or SovCit) movement. The group was planning to take ownership of Abel Tasman national park, using the Allodial Title legal “trick” that ex-lawyer Liz Lambert had been telling anyone who would listen, and create a new country called "New Freeland". Liz shared her trick far and wide; she's written in Facebook groups, told Kelvyn Alp of Counterspin Media on his online news channel, Counterspin, and talked on podcasts, etc. Here are some stills from Liz talking with Kelvyn on Counterspin, including a couple of pages detailing her deep understanding of the law.

When I wrote about this last time, for a bit of a laugh I followed Liz's instructions, getting my daughters to help me create a new flag for our nation. We dug a hole in the ground and planted something in it (habanero chillies, which will come as no surprise to those who know me well enough to know how much I like inflicting pain on myself), and I loudly pronounced my property to be a sovereign nation. I followed this up by publicly posting my declaration on my Facebook page, announcing to the world that my property was now owned by me, under allodial title.

Back when Liz and others were talking about Abel Tasman in the New Freeland Facebook group, there was a lot of conversation about getting thousands of people to move into the park, where they would build up a self-sufficient community, erect permanent buildings and plant community gardens. When I read through the comments made by people interested in this movement, and the advice Liz was giving to them, I assumed that it wasn't going to go any further than talk.

It turns out my assumption was wrong. An article written by Charlie Mitchell was published in the Press on the weekend, describing the efforts made by some “sovereign citizens” to actually take over ownership of Abel Tasman national park.

It turns out that Kelvyn Alp, the man who regularly spouts conspiracy nonsense on his Counterspin media channel, had set up a tent in the park, along with a sign letting the world know that he was claiming the park as his own. The sign told readers that the land had been claimed “by virtue of Universal Common Law” and that “We further validate our claim by entering upon the land naming it New Freeland and setting up habitation and cultivation”. It looks like Charlie even managed to get a copy of a picture of Kelvyn's nascent community, courtesy of a Official Information Act request:

After this, people were told via the movement's Facebook page that they should occupy the land on election day, which apparently Liz Lambert and one other woman did. However DOC, understandably worried about this threat of illegal occupation of one of their parks, had been monitoring the online chatter and were able to have the police arrest the interlopers.

Liz Lambert started sending letters to DOC and government ministers, saying “we forbid entry to this area and the performance of any satanic or tribal rites anywhere in New Freeland,” and “we have gathered our people and shall soon occupy and inhabit our lands”.

Kelvyn Alp has also been vocal about his opposition to DOC, sending an episode of his show to a DOC employee where, in the episode, he said: “Physical harm will come to you if you try to stop people reclaiming their birthright - their right of existence, their right to the land, their right to do what the hell they want without interference from you”, so I'm not surprised DOC were concerned enough to have written an intelligence report on the group which they had shared with the police. Their report stated:

“There has been a marked increase in social media activity and engagement with DOC and other public agencies by New Freeland and splinter groups, indicating the New Freeland movement is extending its activities and gathering followers or emulators”

DOC weren't wrong, as Charlie's article points out that allodial title claims have been made for Waimea Inlet in Nelson, a bay on Lake Taupō, land near the Maruia River in North Canterbury, Hagley Park, Christchurch Hospital and even the grounds of parliament and one of John Key's old houses!

There was a second attempt to inhabit Abel Tasman national park, after Kelvyn Alp told his followers to flock to the park on September 11th 2021. Sadly, because Auckland was in lockdown at the time and Kelvyn was stuck there, he wasn't able to make it there himself, but several of his followers did arrive at the park, in several vehicles that had had their original number plates replaced by plates saying PRIVATE.

Alas, without any support from others, including Kelvyn, these few brave souls left the park after just a few days, and there appear to have been no attempts to retake the land since then.

Although the New Freeland Facebook group driving this craze has been shut down, it turns out that the insanity has continued in another group run by Liz Lambert called “ALLODIAL WORLD” (previously named “LIZ LAMBERT ALLODIAL”). It contains nonsense advice such as:

_“One thing to note; my understanding is that you are not a human being. ('Hu'e) means 'colour of' (man). A judge tried to tell me I'm a living breathing human being. Each time I said "Sir I am not a human being, I am a living, free woman."”

“No consent by way of voice, sound, word/s, handshake, raise eyebrows or the raising of the right hand, or signature, sign or marks, markings, or seal, Consitutes NO CONTRACT.”

“once the assumed authorities receive the paper work, they have 3 days to respond, which we tell them to do in full affidavit style”

“you need to return your ird number to high commissioner of ird and change your business to private club”

“NZ is Registered to the USSEC and owned by the CITY OF LONDON CORPORATION; What we deem as NZ is infact THE ADMINISTRATIVE REALM OF NEW ZEALAND;”_

There are also some slightly more unhinged messages:

_“Its worms my dear.. The fall from grace, the fallen angel.. Whatever language you want to put it in.. Different words for a different era and the different languages we know it in.. The different names they call it like

HIV, heart attacks, brain aneurism's, sex diseases... Its all worms in us.. Like the long stringy things they are pulling out of the dead, calling them blood clots...

You are right my friend but just different words or different eras, but they, are us.. Just changed by the maggots...

But get onto the apple cider or the mimi to the mamae, its the cure

The mathematical Pi... Which is why "ka pai" means whole and good”_

The group also contains a number of posts where people have shared videos and images of them publicly stating their new allodial ownership of either their own land or public locations like the Auckland Domain, State Highway 1 and the Beehive, planting flags just like I did a couple of years ago. I'll leave you with some images of people's flags, as it's a fascinating glimpse into the strangeness of allodial title claims - and honestly, my 7 year old's flag was better than some of these efforts!