{"id":1453,"date":"2025-07-17T14:29:32","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T02:29:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/riveroffreedom.nz\/?page_id=1453"},"modified":"2026-05-05T13:31:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T01:31:26","slug":"book-heart-of-the-protest","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/riveroffreedom.nz\/index.php\/book-heart-of-the-protest\/","title":{"rendered":"Heart of the Protest"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>From screen to page! Following the success of the documentary <em>River of Freedom<\/em>, a powerful new book \u2014 <strong>Heart of the Protest<\/strong> \u2014 takes readers behind the scenes of one of New Zealand\u2019s most significant uprisings. Co-authored by filmmaker <a href=\"https:\/\/riveroffreedom.nz\/index.php\/gaylene-barnes\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/riveroffreedom.nz\/index.php\/gaylene-barnes\/\">Gaylene Barnes<\/a>, director and editor of <em>River of Freedom<\/em>, and writer <a href=\"https:\/\/riveroffreedom.nz\/index.php\/sian-clement\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"869\">Si\u00e2n Clement<\/a>, <strong>Heart of the Protest<\/strong> features personal accounts and researched details around the events and motivations that shaped the 2022 Parliament Protest.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote is-style-default has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-73171fa1fd1df286da8e3f8fc96a4ea8 has-background\" style=\"border-style:none;border-width:0px;border-top-left-radius:20px;border-top-right-radius:20px;border-bottom-left-radius:20px;border-bottom-right-radius:20px;text-decoration:none;background-image:url(&apos;https:\/\/riveroffreedom.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/04.Convo-Glenn-IMG_1324-scaled.jpg&apos;);background-position:50% 54%;background-repeat:repeat;background-size:auto;background-attachment:scroll;\"><blockquote><p>&#8220;Well written and couldn&#8217;t put it down, everything else was put on hold.&#8221;<\/p><cite>READER REVIEW<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<script async\n  src=\"https:\/\/js.stripe.com\/v3\/buy-button.js\">\n<\/script>\n\n<stripe-buy-button\n  buy-button-id=\"buy_btn_1RlhKqJSb857uPRnkphpJZXb\"\n  publishable-key=\"pk_live_51Oq1alJSb857uPRninY3CpjIX1oS9cPGmaSCksI2wo2xQKj37zEbkUQh1S7gPcQ632BTQmplRqi5SKtHfa0wBrpq00u5IJFTNF\"\n>\n<\/stripe-buy-button>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<script async\n  src=\"https:\/\/js.stripe.com\/v3\/buy-button.js\">\n<\/script>\n\n<stripe-buy-button\n  buy-button-id=\"buy_btn_1T3Mz8JSb857uPRnDI8dU7LU\"\n  publishable-key=\"pk_live_51Oq1alJSb857uPRninY3CpjIX1oS9cPGmaSCksI2wo2xQKj37zEbkUQh1S7gPcQ632BTQmplRqi5SKtHfa0wBrpq00u5IJFTNF\"\n>\n<\/stripe-buy-button>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<script async\n  src=\"https:\/\/js.stripe.com\/v3\/buy-button.js\">\n<\/script>\n\n<stripe-buy-button\n  buy-button-id=\"buy_btn_1T2TPqJSb857uPRnQ9WQ0qYr\"\n  publishable-key=\"pk_live_51Oq1alJSb857uPRninY3CpjIX1oS9cPGmaSCksI2wo2xQKj37zEbkUQh1S7gPcQ632BTQmplRqi5SKtHfa0wBrpq00u5IJFTNF\"\n>\n<\/stripe-buy-button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-file aligncenter has-background has-link-color wp-elements-9212aae34c415f9fa84ea5a53e3cc80d\" style=\"background-color:#0097f2\"><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-19510fac-ddfd-43a2-9f8c-36a4f0f1be12\" href=\"https:\/\/riveroffreedom.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Heart-of-the-Protest-Cash-Payment-Form.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">BOOK + DVD + BLURAY &#8211; Cash Payment Form<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/riveroffreedom.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Heart-of-the-Protest-Cash-Payment-Form.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-19510fac-ddfd-43a2-9f8c-36a4f0f1be12\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote is-style-default has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3efce449b088b852a48b8e5ae68a1ef8 has-background\" style=\"border-style:none;border-width:0px;border-top-left-radius:24px;border-top-right-radius:24px;border-bottom-left-radius:24px;border-bottom-right-radius:24px;font-size:16px;background-image:url(&apos;https:\/\/riveroffreedom.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/54.NEW_.Children-ofNZ3533596-copy-2-Edit-copy.jpg&apos;);background-position:32% 63%;background-size:auto;\"><blockquote><p>&#8220;The book is a great record of a most tumultuous time in NZ&#8217;s present day.&#8221;<\/p><cite>READER REVIEW<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\"><strong>Heart of the Protest<\/strong> also reveals the story of the filmmakers themselves \u2014 how a small team came together on Parliament\u2019s lawn to document events. With no major distributor and near-total media silence, their crowdfunded <em>River of Freedom<\/em> became a grassroots phenomenon and, on 21 September 2023, was the most-watched film in New Zealand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>GAYLENE BARNES<br>\u201cIt felt important to provide an account of the truth of what happened during this pivotal chapter in New Zealand\u2019s social history. These weren\u2019t your usual protestors. They were nurses, teachers, builders, plumbers, farmers, mums, dads and grandparents \u2014 all just wanting to be heard.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"772\" height=\"1024\" data-attachment-id=\"1531\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/riveroffreedom.nz\/heartoftheprotest-cover-6-dec\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/riveroffreedom.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/HeartofTheProtest-Cover-6-Dec.png?fit=1103%2C1463&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1103,1463\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"HeartofTheProtest-Cover 6 Dec\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/riveroffreedom.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/HeartofTheProtest-Cover-6-Dec.png?fit=772%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/riveroffreedom.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/HeartofTheProtest-Cover-6-Dec.png?resize=772%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1531\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/riveroffreedom.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/HeartofTheProtest-Cover-6-Dec.png?resize=772%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 772w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/riveroffreedom.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/HeartofTheProtest-Cover-6-Dec.png?resize=226%2C300&amp;ssl=1 226w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/riveroffreedom.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/HeartofTheProtest-Cover-6-Dec.png?resize=768%2C1019&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/riveroffreedom.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/HeartofTheProtest-Cover-6-Dec.png?w=1103&amp;ssl=1 1103w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 772px) 100vw, 772px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Heart of the Protest<\/strong> captures not only what happened, but why it continues to matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>SI\u00c2N CLEMENT<br>\u201cWriting this book was about honouring the courage of everyday people who stood up and said, \u2018enough\u2019. It\u2019s not just a retelling of what happened; it\u2019s a reflection on who we are, what we stand for, and what kind of future we want.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote is-style-default has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-ad44f8e195423c4d955e212f6ba2b5d7 has-background\" style=\"border-style:none;border-width:0px;border-top-left-radius:20px;border-top-right-radius:20px;border-bottom-left-radius:20px;border-bottom-right-radius:20px;font-size:16px;background-image:url(&apos;https:\/\/riveroffreedom.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01.NEW_.Mark_.Aerial.DJI_0049-Edit-2-scaled.jpg&apos;);background-position:35% 79%;background-size:auto;\"><blockquote><p>&#8220;Half way through reading it, great work! An incredible record of a significant event in our history.&#8221;<\/p><cite>READER REVIEW<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>BACK BLURB: Heart of the Protest is the story of the nationwide Convoy 2022 NZ and the resulting protest and occupation of Parliament grounds in February and March that year. When the Government enforced mandatory COVID vaccinations on almost the entire workforce, New Zealanders rose up. Kiwis from all walks of life\u2014teachers, students, medical professionals, tradespeople, musicians, pilots, farmers, ex-police, business owners and employees\u2014arrived at Parliament expecting to be heard. Instead, they were ridiculed by media and collectively ignored by all 120 members of the House. This book expands on the stories of the people represented in the film River of Freedom (2023) who share memories of harm and division, and reflect on the failure of democracy and constitutional sovereignty in their country. Scores of voices from interviews during and following the protest have been woven together with politician and media comments from the time, to provide a comprehensive account that will elucidate the motives behind the thousands of Kiwis who streamed into Parliament grounds on 8 February 2022. Already ostracised from society&#8211;they had nothing to lose in their quest for restoration of their rights and freedoms. Heart of the Protest also hears from the filmmakers\u2014how they came together on Parliament lawn to ensure a visual cinematic record was produced and distributed. Relying on crowdfunding and emerging media platforms, they released River of Freedom independently into cinemas across the country in September 2023. By the third week the film was #1 at the New Zealand box office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a2eafbbbe0f3f9088f78d8ca5c6a9fde has-background\" style=\"border-style:none;border-width:0px;border-top-left-radius:20px;border-top-right-radius:20px;border-bottom-left-radius:20px;border-bottom-right-radius:20px;background-image:url(&apos;https:\/\/riveroffreedom.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/\u00a9-Selina-Nunn-8850-copy-scaled.jpg&apos;);background-position:57.99999999999999% 51%;background-size:cover;background-attachment:scroll;\"><blockquote><p>&#8220;I have just finished reading the book and I want to let you know it is a masterful record of this historical collapse of NZ democracy.&#8221;<\/p><cite>READER REVIEW<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3780a320173ca05e6185491b945c8467\" style=\"color:#008cfe\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=61586998760575\">FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote is-style-default\" style=\"font-size:16px\"><blockquote><p>&#8220;It is a powerful account of what transpired during that whole period.&#8221;<\/p><cite>READER REVIEW<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote is-style-default has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2bdd91024502a28788225bb7426d82bc has-background\" style=\"border-style:none;border-width:0px;border-top-left-radius:20px;border-top-right-radius:20px;border-bottom-left-radius:20px;border-bottom-right-radius:20px;font-size:16px;background-image:url(&apos;https:\/\/riveroffreedom.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Screen-Shot-2024-05-17-at-11.10.51-AM.png&apos;);background-position:72% 91%;background-size:cover;\"><blockquote><p>&#8220;The photos are amazing and the quality is fantastic!<\/p><cite>READER REVIEW<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>&#8220;Seeing this book arrive today feels like a reminder of how important it is to share stories, listen to each other, and keep conversations going.&#8221;<\/p><cite>READER REVIEW<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-extra-small-font-size\">ISBN: 9780473750633<br>Publisher: BRAIDED FILMS<br>Published: 26 MARCH 2026<br>Paperback: 240mm x 170mm, 424pp<br>79 full-colour photos<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-extra-small-font-size\"><em>For media enquiries please contact: <a href=\"mailto:NZPublicist@gmail.com\">NZPublicist@gmail.com<\/a><\/em><br>To stock the book in your bookshop or retail please email: <a href=\"mailto:heartoftheprotest@gmail.com\">heartoftheprotest@gmail.com<\/a><br>To purchase for your SCHOOL or LIBRARY: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wheelersbooks.co.nz\/product\/Heart-of-the-Protest-Inside-the-Parliament-protest-and-the-making-of-the-movie-River-of-Freedom-Sian-Clement\/9780473750633\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.wheelersbooks.co.nz\/product\/Heart-of-the-Protest-Inside-the-Parliament-protest-and-the-making-of-the-movie-River-of-Freedom-Sian-Clement\/9780473750633\">Wheelers<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From screen to page! Following the success of the documentary River of Freedom, a powerful new book \u2014 Heart of the Protest \u2014 takes readers<span class=\"more-button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/riveroffreedom.nz\/index.php\/book-heart-of-the-protest\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Heart of the Protest<\/span><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1589,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1453","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/riveroffreedom.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1453","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/riveroffreedom.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/riveroffreedom.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riveroffreedom.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riveroffreedom.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1453"}],"version-history":[{"count":122,"href":"https:\/\/riveroffreedom.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1453\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1687,"href":"https:\/\/riveroffreedom.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1453\/revisions\/1687"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riveroffreedom.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1589"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/riveroffreedom.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}