Just as defending the right of nasty people to voice unpopular opinions is the litmus test for a politician’s commitment to freedom of speech, defending the right of people to belong to an organisation is just as important a test of their commitment to freedom of association. Gangs are to freedom of association what horrible opinions are to freedom of speech.

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Stephen Berry is a former Act candidate and Auckland Mayoral candidate. The libertarian political commentator retired as a politician in July 2020 and now hosts the Mr Berry Mr Berry Show on Youtube.