08/06/2026
FREE SHOP LIVES ON!
Another successful Free Shop at the River Wharves.
Families, pensioners, workers, students, people experiencing homelessness and people simply feeling the pressure of the cost of living all came together to share food, clothing, hygiene products and community.
Despite Council's decision to deny our permit, Free Shop continues to show exactly what we've been saying from the beginning. People gather peacefully. People help each other. People leave with what they need. There have been no incidents, no problems and no justification for treating this community initiative as a threat. What Council sees as a risk, the community sees as a solution.
Every fortnight, ordinary people are doing what governments and institutions struggle to do. We are feeding people, reducing waste, building connections and creating a space where everyone is welcome, regardless of their circumstances.
The fight for a permanent home for Free Shop isn't over. Public space belongs to the public, not just to those who can afford to profit from it. We will continue advocating for the right of communities to gather, share resources and care for one another in the heart of our city.
Thank you to everyone who donated, volunteered, attended and stood in solidarity. Free Shop exists because the community needs it and because the community refuses to let it disappear.
The protest continues.
Solidarity, not charity!
We stand in absolute Solidarity with all First Nations people and their fight for Land Back and self determination. Sovereignty was Never ceded.