Editing Free State Project (section)

=== Criticism ===
Critics argue that the Free State Project is "radical",<ref>{{cite web|date=April 13, 2011 |title=The Radical-Right Free State Project Has Chosen New Hampshire For A Revolution |url=http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2011/04/13/174973/new-hampshire-radical-right/?mobile=nc |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150604084251/http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2011/04/13/174973/new-hampshire-radical-right/?mobile=nc |archive-date=June 4, 2015 |access-date=September 14, 2012 |website=[[ThinkProgress]]}}</ref> a "fantasy",<ref>{{cite web|last1=Trinward |first1=Steve |title=The Free State Project: good idea or libertopian fantasy?|url=http://www.rationalreview.com/rationalreviewold/archive/stevetrinward/stevetrinward011203.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031009103310/https://rationalreview.com/rationalreviewold/archive/stevetrinward/stevetrinward011203.html |archive-date=October 9, 2003 |access-date=June 16, 2021 |website=Rational Review}}</ref> or that they "go too far" in seeking to restrict government.<ref>{{cite news|date=June 28, 2012|title=LTE: Free Staters go too far|newspaper=Concord Monitor|url=http://thecontributor.com/lte-free-staters-go-too-far|access-date=June 29, 2016|archive-date=March 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309211436/https://thecontributor.com/lte-free-staters-go-too-far|url-status=dead}}</ref> The project has drawn criticism from some New Hampshire residents concerned about population pressure and opposition to increased taxation.<ref name="Boston" /> In December 2012, state representative {{interlanguage link|Cynthia Chase|de}} (D-Keene) said, "Free Staters are the single biggest threat the state is facing today. There is, legally, nothing we can do to prevent them from moving here to take over the state, which is their openly stated goal. In this country you can move anywhere you choose and they have that same right. What we can do is to make the environment here so unwelcoming that some will choose not to come, and some may actually leave. One way is to pass measures that will restrict the 'freedoms' that they think they will find here".<ref>{{cite web|title=New Hampshire Democrat: 'Free Staters are the single biggest threat the state is facing today'|url=http://reason.com/blog/2012/12/27/new-hampshire-democrat-free-staters-are |access-date=April 23, 2015 |work=Reason.com|date=December 27, 2012 }}</ref>

During and shortly after the Free Town Project was active in [[Grafton County, New Hampshire|Grafton County]], there were three bear attacks.<ref name="nhmagazine">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.nhmagazine.com/bear-out-of-control/ |title=Does New Hampshire Have a Bear Problem?|date=September 17, 2020 |access-date=February 8, 2021 |magazine=[[New Hampshire (magazine)|New Hampshire Magazine]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wmur.com/article/grafton-woman-attacked-by-bear-1/5174477 |title=Grafton woman attacked by bear|date=June 17, 2012 |access-date=February 8, 2021 |work=[[WMUR-TV]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wmur.com/article/woman-71-seriously-hurt-in-encounter-with-bear-in-groton-home/22214964 |title=Bear seriously hurts woman, 71, in her Groton home|date=July 17, 2018 |access-date=February 8, 2021 |work=[[WMUR-TV]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://boston.cbslocal.com/2020/06/22/new-hampshire-man-escapes-serious-injury-after-unprovoked-bear-attack-near-home/ |title=New Hampshire Man Escapes Serious Injury After Unprovoked Bear Attack Near Home |work=[[WBZ-TV]] |date=June 22, 2020}}</ref> Several media outlets have said that there was a relationship between the Free Town Project and the bear attacks, and a book was written on the subject by local state reporter [[Matt Hongoltz-Hetling]].<ref name="vox"/><ref name="book"/><ref name="nhmagazine" /><ref name="newrepublic">{{cite magazine |last1=Blanchfield |first1=Patrick |date=October 13, 2020 |title=The Town That Went Feral: When a group of libertarians set about scrapping their local government, chaos descended. And then the bears moved in. |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/159662/libertarian-walks-into-bear-book-review-free-town-project |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20201013115616/https://newrepublic.com/article/159662/libertarian-walks-into-bear-book-review-free-town-project |archive-date=October 13, 2020 |access-date=June 16, 2021 |magazine=[[The New Republic]] |issn=0028-6583}}</ref>

In 2012, the Concord Police Department applied for $258,000 in federal government funding to buy a [[Lenco BearCat]] armored vehicle for protection against terrorist attacks, riots, or shooting incidents. The application mentioned "Free Staters" alongside [[Sovereign Citizens]] and [[Occupy Wall Street|Occupy New Hampshire]] as groups that "are active and present daily challenges". The grant from the [[United States Department of Homeland Security]] was successful, but the Concord City Council revised the application to remove references to those political movements before unanimously approving of the grant.<ref>{{cite news|last=Wickham |first=Shawne K. |title=Civil Liberties Union questions increasing use of costly military-style equipment by NH law enforcement|url=http://www.unionleader.com/article/20130728/NEWS07/130729284 |work=[[New Hampshire Union Leader]] |date=July 27, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130816045252/https://www.unionleader.com/article/20130728/news07/130729284/ |archive-date=August 16, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

A 2022 survey found relatively little awareness of the Free State Project in New Hampshire but generally negative opinions among those familiar: 49% of respondents had heard of the project, while 10% expressed a favorable view and 26% an unfavorable one.<ref>{{cite web|date=September 29, 2022 |title=Suffolk University/Boston Globe Poll|url=https://www.suffolk.edu/-/media/suffolk/documents/academics/research-at-suffolk/suprc/polls/new-hampshire/2022/9_29_2022_marginals.pdf#page3 |website=[[Suffolk University]]}}</ref>