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Picket report, San Francisco, July 3, 1999

Photos available  here.

Date: Saturday, July 3, 1999
Start and End Times: 11:45 - 2:00 pm 
   (11:20 - 2:00 if you include time walking to the org, which is time
spent handing out fliers and practicing wave tech)
Location: San Francisco
Picketers: Peaches, Kristi Wachter, Elvis, phr, Keith Henson, Administrati
Handlers: Mr. Lady I Work Here and some new guy
Weather: lovely - sunny, with some wind
Number of Handouts given away: 139 (upstat!)
Comments: very little handling; good reception from the public

flier stats:

   3 Xenu fliers
   6 Lisa fliers
   5 AG postcards
  51 Lisa/hurts people
  43 Rodney
   1 Judges on Scn
  30 Mint/Law
    
 139 total 
 (my stats only - others gave away fliers, too)
 
 
Note: Quotes may not be exact, since I didn't listen to my tape recording
at all. Also, I occasionally rearrange the chronology slightly to enhance
the narrative flow.


Six of us picketed the San Francisco org today - the largest SF picket
we've had in a while.

It was largely uneventful - just the way I like it.


Just as I arrived at 11:45, Peaches spotted me - she had arrived early and
stopped for coffee. We picketed together for a while and had a nice chat.
kEvin and Keith showed up after a while, and Phr and Administrati joined
us before the end of the picket.

We had a new guy come out to take pictures of us. I snapped some of him
while he was shooting me; I tried to be accommodating and asked which side
of my sign he wanted, but he thought I was asking which side of his
profile I should shoot. Despite the miscommunication, he seemed friendly
enough.

Mr. Lady-I-Work-Here came out once or twice. I went up to the org to get
some pictures of the ads for the newly-translated versions of Dianetics,
and he came out of the org shaking his head at me, as if to tell me to
stay on the sidewalk. I pointed out that they let everyone else use the
triangular area as a walkway, and there was no reason not to let me use
it, too. (I was heading back to the sidewalk at that point anyway.)


As Peaches mentioned, there was another march going on at the same time,
protestors seeking the release of Mumia. A little while after the marchers
went by (a block north of us), I saw five police cars go by, three with
people in the back seats, and one of the other critics said something
about seeing a bomb squad van. I'm glad our pickets are quiet and
uneventful. I'm sure the police are glad, too.


One gentleman came out of the org and asked whether I (we?) were going to
picket every Saturday. I told him that I, personally, planned to be there
the first Saturday of each month. He said, "Good - every time you picket,
we get more people in." I told him there were people picketing my home
trying to get me to stop picketing, so clearly someone was operating with
counter-intentions.


We had the usual good reception from passersby, with the usual
distribution of responses. We had a lady who had been in Scn for a while
and was glad to be out; I encouraged her to talk to the Attorney General
about any damages she had suffered at Scientology's hands. We had a young
lady shoot some pictures of us and ask some questions, then go into the
org to take the personality test. She brought an extra one out for me. I
encouraged her to email me if she had any more questions.


As Peaches already mentioned, we had a cameraman from a local news program
shooting footage of us for quite a while. I didn't even notice him at
first, but after one of the other critics pointed him out to me, I walked
across the street, snapping pictures, then told him I'd be happy to answer
any questions he had. He wasn't there to interview us - just to shoot
footage - but he gladly took fliers and was happy to tell us what station
he was from. When he came across the street to the org side to shoot more
footage, Mr. Lady-I-Work-Here came out to talk to him, although I didn't
hear what was said.





I haven't seen my personal picketers in quite a while, but they left me
some fliers on Saturday. I was surprised they weren't waiting downstairs
to greet me like last time. Maybe it provokes too much cognitive
dissonance when I blithely greet them, then walk away on my merry way to
the picket. Maybe it's too hard for them to deal with the evidence that
their efforts are having no effect on my picketing.


I'm starting to be genuinely concerned about Jeff Quiros - I haven't seen
him in quite a while, and he surely knows about the
first-Saturday-of-the-month pickets. I hope he's okay. Hey, Jeff - drop me
an email and let me know you're alright, okay?



There's not much more to report. We had a lovely time, gave away a lot of
fliers, caught some rays (I got a very nice sunburn), and got some
exercise and fresh air. It was absolutely marvellous to see so many faces,
and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again soon. Thanks to everyone
for coming out!


The next regularly scheduled first-Saturday-of-every-month picket is
August 7 at the regular time, 12 - 2. See you then!



Kristi

-- 
Kristi Wachter
the activist formerly known as "Jour" (before $cientology outed me)

I think $cientology is hurting people and breaking the law, and I
want them to stop it. See http://www.scientology-lies.com for more.
         Can you say "Xenu?" ... I knew that you could.

This page was last updated on December 18, 1999.