Anti Scientology Protest. London

Guido | 17.03.2008 00:15 | London

This was a strange one. Great for pictures but still a bit odd. I am surprised and impressed by the turnout. There must be at least 400 people here. All of them masked up, mostly in those V for Vendetta masks that are presently quite fashionable. They are making plenty of noise and giving out free cake to passersby. The cake I am told is a sarcastic gesture to celebrate the birthday of Ron L Hubbard the founder of the Church of Scientology (COS). I guess it is the closest thing that the average Scientologist has to Christmas day?

The thing I’m not quite sure about is why such interest in such a tiny sect? Don’t get me wrong every religion is open to abuse and this one is no exception but its not like they have much of a presence over here. They clearly have shit loads of money. The building we are outside which houses their headquarters must be worth ten of millions. But I’ve never been aware that they have much in the way of members? It also occurs to me that if the COS was given enough rope it would surely hang itself? Like everyone else, when I saw THAT Tom Cruise video on Youtube I didn’t stop laughing for a week. When I saw an over emotional John Sweeney trying to expose them on Panorama and making a huge tit of himself in the process I was equally entertained.

I’m guessing that most of the people present on the demo are in their late teens or early twenties (its difficult to tell with the masks). And I'm wondering if this is the latest internet phenomenon to put bored individuals with too much time on their hands onto the streets. A bit like flash mobs with a cultish twist? The three individuals I speak to don’t really seem that political. They are full of facts and figures about the less savory aspects of scientology and certainly know their subject. But two of them are completely unaware that there is a national demo against the war today. Ok its unfair to judge a 400 strong demo on a brief chat with just three of them but I’m left wondering if this is a serious campaign to trash the tiny foothold the COS have in Britain or just a passing fad?

Meanwhile across the road the Scientologists inside the building do little to counter their sinister image by filming and snapping the demonstrators. They then make themselves look even more dubious by ducking out the way when they see the press pointing cameras at their actions. Nothing to hide???

P.S. For the record: As an atheist I view all religion with equal indifference or equal contempt if it crosses my path. I have also always thought that Tom Cruise was a prick. Long before he became a bad advert for his religion/cult/sect/community (delete as applicable).

Guido
e-mail: guidoreports@riseup.net

Comments

Hide the following 29 comments

Could you be a bit more patronising?

17.03.2008 01:24

"is the latest internet phenomenon to put bored individuals with too much time on their hands onto the streets. A bit like flash mobs with a cultish twist?"

Or is that the best you can manage?

Videos:

http://rattube.com/blog1/2008/03/16/anonymous-vs-scientology-london-31508/

Anonymous

Why such interest in such a tiny sect?

17.03.2008 02:33

I've been watching this weirdness a bit the past few weeks and this is what I figure:
The reason this "church" is being targeted because it likes to go around picking on "hackers" and critics.
What kind of "church" goes around messing with people anyway? It sounds like they even have "policies" and "classes" on how to mess with people and get them to act like tits.

I saw a hilarious video of a couple of nutters trying it on some guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPol_m8wm8Y
THIS had me laughing for a week! "What are your crimes!?!?" Ha!

I just think it's a good cult for people who like bullies and worship celebrities.

sugar

Someone Doesn't Have Their Facts Straight

17.03.2008 03:28

The protest was NOT against the religion of Scientology, it was against the church. Big difference. The reason you wouldn't have known they had many members is because their members are pretty much forbidden from discussing Scientology with non-members. Doing so will quickly put you on the church's hit list. Finally, this was a worldwide protest, not just in Britain.

The people present at the protest were there to inform the public of the crimes of the church. If you plan on criticizing Anonymous then try listening to what they say and doing some research first. The Church of Scientology is not just a little threat, it's just a better hidden problem than a war. As I said, do some research and learn what you can. www.xenu.net is a good place to start.

Fair Article

17.03.2008 03:53

This article was unbiased and fair. Anonymous will complain about the article not being anti-Scientology enough for their preference. This only proves how Anonymous isn't willing to look at BOTH sides. Anonymous is only interested in twisting the facts to justify their own hate crimes.

Jonathon

Why don't YOU go do something better then?

17.03.2008 04:13

...like researching the subject for instance. Even just a little, before you put finger to keyboard. If you don't really know why they are there then find out. They were giving out plenty of leaflets.

I'm am surprised, given this being indymedia, that you take this "they are just kids" kind of attitude. I am proud of these "kids". There were "kids" there from 17 to 70+ at that protest and other protests in major cities all over the globe on 10th Februrary, 15th March and they will be there again on April 12th and so on. How come the anti-war movement can't do that?

Bonnie Woods and her husband was there. She runs an organisation called Escape. She was once trapped in the scientology cult herself and was ritually harassed when she left and spoke out. They love this new breed of protesters and I do too. I had my concerns at the beginning but they have shown themselves to be very intelligent, caring and always willing to learn more. Oh, and they are great fun too.

Your patronising attitude is exactly the same as the scientologists, i.e. "why don't you go protest something more worthwile", "there are kids starving in africa" blah blah. You sound like, with a big folding of arms, a rolling of eyes and a tut, that you can't pestered with it all. This IS a worthwhile cause. Scientology hurts people and, even if you are not a member, it is still taking your money by not paying tax (VAT and discount on rates in London). You hint that you just might want to find out more so I suggest you contact some of the old guard critics that have been at it for years. They'll give you a good grounding on the cult and this new movement. Google plenty. You can find a list of critics on www.xenu-directory.net

Thanks for posting the pretty pictures. You got that bit right.

Sponge

Scientology is a dangerous cult.

17.03.2008 04:17

"Scientology is evil; its techniques are evil; its practice is a serious threat to the community, medically, morally, and socially; and its adherents are sadly deluded and often mentally ill... (Scientology is) the world's largest organization of unqualified persons engaged in the practice of dangerous techniques which masquerade as mental therapy."

--Justice Anderson, Supreme Court of Victoria, Australia

-------------------------------------------------

"Did you ever read poor old George Orwell's uh... 1984? Yes, yes,
that's wonderful. That would be, could be, the palest imagined shadow
of what a world would be like under the rule of the secret use of
Scientology with no remedy in existence."
-L. Ron Hubbard PDC Lecture #20

Butterflygrrl

Sarcastic Cake

17.03.2008 05:19

Oh Yum! Now THAT is the way to have your cake, and eat it too!

Terryeo

A tiny cult, but a dangerous one

17.03.2008 06:01

Sure, a tiny cult with some billionaires is dangerous. Whatever the number of people. Take a weapons dealer or fabricant, and you've someone very dangerous, as he can buy some politicians, some policemen, some army men, and put a war somewhere... scientology is armed and has even had as one of its top clients the wife of Adnan Kassoghi, the famous weapons dealer. Do you see the danger?

roger gonnet
mail e-mail: roger.gonnet@chello.fr
Homepage: http://www.xenufrance.net

Bad journalism

17.03.2008 06:07

Guido, this is a poor article, why did you attend this protest and write up an article without doing any research whatsoever and expect the reader to fill in the blanks?

I attended another anonymous protest in Birmingham for I presume the same reasons as you; intrigued by this significantly large worldwide movement which has emerged pretty much overnight.

Scientology is not a religion, it is a business which brain washes vulnerable people and relieves them of money and possessions. Recruits are trained to commit themselves to the "church" and are advised to cut themselves off from any family and friends who question the integrity of the "church". I found that many of the people on that protest had lost friends and family to scientology, in other words they have not seen or heard from them in years. I do not consider those people to be a bunch of teenagers with "nothing better to do". Meeting these real life victims was a sad experience.

The "church" also has a practice called "fair game" which means they consider it reasonable to ruin the life of anyone who criticises them, this may sound like a joke but there are people out there who have been harassed, received death threats, and had false accusations made against them. They also use litigation to silence anyone who tries to publicise any material showing their true nature.

The church is attempting to weevil it's way into schools by providing drugs awareness campaigns, and promoting their dubious drugs treatment programme "narconon" which has claimed the lives of several people. The reason there so many young people are involved in the protests is because this is a main age group the "church" targets.

Do you pour scorn upon this movement because it has been born outside of the anarchist movement? Do you thing these people are not "politicised" enough and therefore not worthy as "real" activists? F*ck this elitist attitude and just be glad that normal everyday people are doing something radical!

One of Anonymous

Guido's no anarchist!

17.03.2008 08:32

As far as i know he's a trot who supports Respect.

Now who's being patronising now?

respect watch

another anon

17.03.2008 08:35

Hey to redress the balance of poor reporting here, can someone else from the london protests put something up?

Remember we are the media!

Get publishing!

publish another post about this protest on the newswire!!!

Where do you think all that money comes from?

17.03.2008 08:50

If they have such few followers, obviously those tens of millions of dollars came straight from the tiny number of followers. Doesn't that set off red lights with anyone else? This "church" drains every red cent from the people unlucky enough to be caught up in it.

Anonymous is taking on the Church of Scientology because, as a completely unorganized group whose members are spread worldwide, we don't exactly have the lobbying power to go up against bigger organizations or government issues. And I would say that free speech - another thing that the "church" stands against, judging by their history of lawsuits against anyone and anything that tries to expose what goes on behind the organization's happy and professional front - is a pretty darned major issue in its own right.

aerochocolate

could have researched a little more before writing this?

17.03.2008 09:33

it's good to see you've tried to be balanced writing this, but maybe you could have researched the whole thing a bit more before adding it, because I think you've been a bit unfair to anonymous. Don't take the negative comments too badly though, and good luck with your future writing. :)

rao

Christians will back your clause...

17.03.2008 10:33

The religion of Scientology is so different from the Mainstream Christianity; in fact it is rebuked by all those who go to church in one form or another so to claim that the demo is an attack on a church seem little nonsensical even when Christianity will agree on your vast majority of points raised.

:)

Loppy

Dear oh dear.

17.03.2008 10:44

Wow, 14 comments after just a few hours.

Anonymous, I think I made it pretty bleedin clear that all I knew about the COS was whats been on Youtube, and all I knew about the demo was a very brief chat with three individuals. Still if your're desparate to be offended don't let me stop you. If you wan't people to know more about what going on then try hitting the 'Publish your News' button and telling us?

P.S. Neither trot or an Anarchist or a supporter of Respect or their new incarnation either. Far too cynical for any of that...

Guido
mail e-mail: guidoreports@riseup.net

....what?

17.03.2008 10:58

How stupid are you people? do any of you know any anonymous? /b/ is largely very against what most of you stand for yet you support them? WTF

Would you support the BNP if they did it?

Dixi

youtube

17.03.2008 11:17

people post things to youtube, etc. rather than indymedia because anonymous is NOT political, they are kids online that like to piss people off....

DIxi

Black Scientology

17.03.2008 11:58

Enjoyed your article but really shocked at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPol_m8wm8Y

It is just plain wrong to use the technology in a "black" manner. All those "Scientologists" were doing were using our spiritual knowledge in a suppressive manner. Asking for things one has done wrong, crimes committed, are confessional actions, and never done in such a demanding manner. There was no intention to help in those questions..gross misuse of the technology of Scientology.

No wonder it is called a cult.

thetagal
mail e-mail: thetagal@gmail.com
Homepage: http://www.tigergold.net/ministry.html

Hey Guido!

17.03.2008 12:44

Although I doubt you're a professional photographer looking to sell you pics, some of the frustrations at the style of your article I think is justified. Why didn't you research this any more than you did? Why do you focus on stereotyping in you 'analysis'?

You do indeed come across as a little cynical, but fair enough, you're not the only cynical person out there.

The frustration is - why has this been promoted? The answer seems obvious to me. One of the Indymedia editors has skim-read this and assumed it's a better quality article than it is. Also, the event itself justifies the coverage. Still, it's frustrating to have to read such a poor treatment of a pretty interesting topic.

Then the funny bit. How many of these comment posts are from Scientologists? It's hard to tell, because some of the grammar (like mine I guess) is a bit poor so it's hard to tell exactly what point is being made, but there's some pretty suspicious looking budget attempts at propaganda here.

As a complete bystander (neither a Scientologist, nor 'one of Anonymous') I've really enjoyed seeing these protests crop up recently. I saw the photos from one of the earlier demos with all of the 'we've come from the internet' references and I couldn't help but be inspired. Yep, you're a ragtag bunch, but I wouldn't make you look any neater if I joined in (which I would really love to).

Inspired onlooker is inspired (or something like that)

Pete

Sects and violence

17.03.2008 16:18

The reaction against Guidos report seems almost religious in itself. He gave the demo an opener and some nice photos and merely confessed to not knowing all about it. Why is this cult getting so much abuse when they do not target poor activists, they target rich morons ? The Larouchies deliberately target young, left-wing students and have more extensive political disinfo networks which have often been found on IM.

Anyone so thick as to follow and subsidise a religion invented by a crappy science-fiction writer - I mean, say you end the religion or at least free them from it, how do you save them from being equally gullible for the rest of their lives ?

"A disciple is an asshole looking for a human being to attach it's self to. That basically is the secret of power which L. Ron Hubbard told to JR Bob Dobbs on that elevator in Palm Springs. This is what made L.Ron Hubbard a millionaire..."You know dumb the average guy is - well, mathematically, by definition, half of them are even dumber than that." " - Robert Anton Wilson

Reverend Danny

Get over yourselves Anonymous

17.03.2008 17:09

Some nice photos of your protest, an honest admission of bemusement and you take the huff. Do your own article. Explain what this is about beyond dressing up and socialising "in real life". OK, Scientologists are wankers. Most religions are.

Me, I think there's more political content in LOLcats.

Pseudonymous

Guido is a minister of rival cult !

17.03.2008 20:12

Rev Guidos full gospel burny fire

I just ordained Guido as a member of the Universal Life Church. I reread the rules and there is nothing about having to gain his permission before ordaining him, although my marriage of Bush to Blair does seemingly require consumation.

Any further attacks on Guidos report now qualify as religious persecution against the Universal Life Church and will be dealt with accordingly !

Rev Danny

Freedom of religion!

17.03.2008 20:44

Hi,

Why do Anonymous claim not to be against the religion of scientology yet many of them seem to go on about Xenu, how scientology isn’t really a religion, etc.

Also COS may not be perfect but I don’t know they are as bad as people think. Critics seem to post any allegation made about the COS like it’s fact. There is this scientology site countering a lot of what is said:

http://www.scientologymyths.info/

Obviously this is run by a scientologist but still worth a look to add a little balance.

PS. I am not a scientologist (before anyone asks) but do have a family member who is.

Animal Liberation - Human Rights

/b/

17.03.2008 23:35

Eh.. I agree with the poster who remarked that anon is anti-leftist. Anon is about irony, fun and nihilism... and doesn't give a fuck about left wing cultural shibolleths. So they are a bunch of loser geeks - and a hell of a lot more like plausible revolutionaries than the usual suspects.

Scientology and animal rights

17.03.2008 23:47

It doesn't surprise me that a member of an animal rights group has a relative in Scientology. No-doubt familial personality traits make you both susceptible to manipulation in closed groups which employ simplistic and arbitrary dogmas. Most left-wing activism (martyrdom) groups are just as repressive, out of touch with social reality, and destructive of individuality as any organised religion.

title olloll

18.03.2008 01:47

The only way that I see this as a poor article, is that it has very little substance. The things that you do write about are your perspective on the events, a few interviews, followed by your analysis on the situation. that it should have no quote from Anonymous (or the Church of Scientology for that matter), makes it a poor article.
More research, from either side of the coin, would be needed to make this article successful, IMHO. I personally believe that the CoS is a criminal organization that needs to be taken down in its present form (FreeZone, a group of Scientologists who've branched off from the tax-free cult, I have absolutely no qualms with), but it's still good for an article to report, factually, on both sides.

Get over it!

18.03.2008 11:01

The original post is a report of a demo, not a piece of analysis, nor does it pretend to be. Nowhere have I claimed to be anything other than a photographer covering a demo on a subject that I freely admit to knowing bugger-all about. The amount of time that you nurds have spent sniping at me and others on this thread could have been far more productively spent explaining why you consider the COS to be such a threat? It also seems that for daring to report your demo without spending hours researching my subject I am being accused of being everything from a trot to a corporate journo infiltrating IMC UK to line my pockets (lol!).

Attempting to trash the reputation of anyone who dares to criticise...isn't that what the....erm....scientologists are famous for?

Anyway not to worry. Now I have been ordained I am pleased to say that you are forgiven and granted absolution.

And there we have it….

18.03.2008 12:03

I wonder how many Anonymous types feel this way about animal rights and other progressive politics? Is the Anonymous lot the types that dismiss anything ‘different’ out of hand and believe media hype and Internet rumour out of hand? Is this why they are against the likes of Scientology?

P.S....

18.03.2008 12:40

....I have to say, I was quite amused by this:

http://www.xenu.net/archive/scientology_illustrated/

Guido

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