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Picket report, San Francisco, December 5, 1999

Picket photos are also available.

Date: Sunday, December 5, 1999
Start and End Times: 12:30 - 8:00 pm, with breaks at 2:15 and 6 pm (5 1/2
hours total?)
Location: San Francisco
Picketers: Kristi Wachter, Peaches, Phil, phr; Madwog and Longhair joined
us for the vigil
Handlers: Jeff Quiros and No-Longer-Nasty Mark
Weather: nice - somewhat overcast and chilly later, but pleasant
Number of Handouts given away: 314 (upstat!) (but down from last year)
Comments: an effective and non-confrontational protest

flier stats:

  11 Xenu fliers
   8 Lisa fliers
 224 Lisa/hurts people
  60 Rodney Rimando
   8 Costs a Mint/Breaking the Law (I thought I gave out more than this)
   3 Belgium/France
    
 314 total 
-----------------------------------------------

Familiar faces seen:

Jeff Quiros
No-Longer-Nasty Mark
Movie Star (pretty, slender, dark-haired lady Scientologist who almost
always comes out for a smoke when we picket on weekends)
Craig
Burly Guy


Familiar faces not present during this picket:

Miss Pixie (red-headed lady Scientologist)
Josh
Mr. Lady-I-Work-Here
Mr. Get-Your-Facts-Straight


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


 
Note: Quotes may not be exact, since I didn't listen to my tape
recording. Also, I occasionally rearrange the chronology slightly to
enhance the narrative flow.


Four of us picketed the San Francisco org today in memory of Lisa
McPherson and others who have suffered at Scientology's hands.

Despite the presence of Jeff Quiros and (No-Longer! -) Nasty Mark, there
was minimal handling and no confrontation.


And this is perhaps the major headline news of this picket report - 

>>>>>  Nasty Mark is No Longer Nasty!  <<<<<

He was quiet and non-confrontational all day. He smiled a lot and didn't
say much, although when Phil and a bystander, Richard, went over to talk
with him, he (reportedly) carried on normal conversation.

No-Longer-Nasty Mark is this month's winner of the coveted Kristi's
Favorite Scientologist award. (Sure, I'm fickle, keep changing it all the
time, but I haven't seen Bill in months, I hardly ever see Michelle, and
heck if those darn Scientologists don't just keep turning nice when you
least expect it.)






KEEP ME HANGIN' ON

As I mentioned in announcing the picket, I am often late, and today was no
exception. I was busily assembling extra sandwich signs and printing out
new slogans before I left, and suiting up (I had a backpack full of
inflatable aliens, extra fliers, t-shirts, candles, candle holder cups,
tape, stapler, and other supplies; my flier-holder; three sandwich
signs; my blue alien; and my sign, with tape recorder), so I didn't arrive
at the org until about 12:30.

About a block away, Peaches drove by and pulled over to say hello - she
had arrived at noon but couldn't find a parking space. Circling the block
looking, though, had given her a chance to observe the org, and she said
Nasty Mark and Jeff Quiros had been waiting for us since noon. She went
off to find parking, and I started picketing.

Mark was outside setting up a camera on a tripod at the edge of the org
(in front of the door at 77 McAllister). I cheerily said hello and he
nodded and smiled in reply. Not long after, one of the regular smokin'
Scientologists lounging near the front door offered me a friendly,
"Hi! How are you?" and I said hi right back. It was an auspicious
start. (In general, relations with the Scientologists were
non-confrontational all day. They mostly ignored us, although we had the
occasional nod-and-smile. One lady walked past me and called me a liar but
didn't answer me when I asked what I was lying about, and Craig came by a
couple of times and muttered something once about how I looked like I was
nuts.)



PICK UP THE PIECES

I couldn't tell what, exactly, Mark was doing with his camera - I'm not
even sure it was video (it looked like a still camera to me, but he did
bring out an extension cord for it); I barely saw him touch it once it was
set up. Still, if he was shooting video, I'm sure he and the folks in the
OSA screening room got a good giggle out of my performance for the next
couple of hours. I was constantly putting down and reassembling my
regalia.

Peaches arrived with a fabulous new vinyl slipcover for my picket sign, so
I can replace my sad, raggedy tape-and-plastic pouches. We fiddled with
that for a bit, along with the totally wonderful strap Phr had contributed
for my flier-holder. (We rigged it so it hooks around my waist, taking
about 4 lbs of weight off my neck. My shoulders thank you, Phr!) Then we
tried to deal with the extra yardsticks she had brought for any newbie
picketers that came along. I started by sticking them out of my pack with
my blue alien dangling from them, but soon that was sagging and opening up
my pack - causing my tape and cassettes and stuff to fall on the sidewalk
- so she took them and stashed them somewhere and I figured out a way to
stuff the alien's legs into the straps of my pack, so he was sort of
riding on my shoulders. The pack interfered with my rear sandwich signs,
so eventually Peaches suggested simply wearing them all in front - it
meant one less visible slogan, but at least they stayed in place.

After an hour or so, I got my gear all figured out and was able to fully
concentrate on fliering.




TAKE 5

At around 2:15, it was still just Peaches and me, and we were ready for a
bit of a break. We headed over to the cafe to take a load off and have a
soothing beverage. I reassembled my sign, rearranging my slogans in the
pouches of my nifty new vinyl slipcover. 

I started the day with:

Scientology: STILL breaking the law / www.scientology-lies.com
(hand-held, front)
Why does Scientology lie about its critics? (hand-held, back)
Does Scientology give you liver damage? (hand-held, back)

Scientologists convicted AGAIN! (sandwich, front)
Scientology hurts people (sandwich, back)


I ended with:

Scientology: STILL breaking the law / www.scientology-lies.com
(hand-held, front)
Did Scientology standard tech kill Lisa McPherson? (hand-held, back)
Does Scientology give you liver damage? (hand-held, back)

Scientologists convicted AGAIN! (sandwich, front)


Peaches and I had a good chat and a bite to eat, then we headed back out.

As we waited at the corner to cross over to the org, we saw Phil just
ahead of us, so now we were three. Not too long after that, Phr joined in
as well.



YOU DON'T BRING ME COFFEE

During the picket, a generous passerby took it upon himself to go over to
Burger King and buy us four cups of coffee. Alas, Phil declined, as did I,
so Peaches was left with the whole batch! We started offering it to
passersby, and one gentleman took a cup and struck up a conversation with
Peaches. He ended up joining in some of the conversations, picking up a
picket sign now and again, and generally keeping us company the rest of
the afternoon.





TALK TO ME

Throughout the picket, Jeff Quiros and N-L-N Mark were very subdued. Jeff
came out to snap photos, as always, but he was fairly pleasant all the
same. I enjoyed playing with him, taking pictures of him taking pictures
of me, smiling and waving whenever I saw him aim at me, and cheerily
calling out "Photo Op! Camera Session!" whenever I saw him aiming at the
other picketers.

Phil, to my delight, got into a long, long conversation with Jeff - and
later on, our new coffee-mate Richard and Phil both took turns having
conversations with Mark. It was nice to see calm discussions initiated by
Phil, which let him and our handlers communicate with one another about
Phil's concerns and kept the rest of us free to flier our little hearts
out. (At one point Phil got a little more expressive and was hitting his
picket sign with his hand to make a point ... Peaches and I looked at each
other and were about to go over and ask if everything was okay, but he
resumed completely normal polite conversation mode and we just grinned and
shrugged and went back to picketing.)




EVERYONE'S A WINNER

We were once again congratulated and thanked by several people - once
again, a gentleman crossed the street just to tell us how much he
appreciated our protest. As usual, we had a handful of stories about a
brother or a friend who had been in Scientology and was now out, and we
had one of the (rarer) stories about an obnoxious boss who was a
Scientologist.



SILENCE IS BROKEN

As night fell, we watched the skies turn dark enough for us to begin our
vigil. At last, we lit candles and gathered in a small huddle to honor the
memory of those who had lost their lives to Scientology.

Mark moved the camera closer, and he, Jeff, and another Scientologist
stood watching, but they were not intrusive.

Phil spoke about Lisa, her happier years and her devastating last days. I
mentioned a few of the other names: Susan Meister, Patrice Vic, Rodney
Rimando ...

As we held our vigil, an older man, bent nearly double, came out of the
org and started talking to us. He asked for information on Lisa and began
talking to us about our protest. He asked if we were well-organized (I
said "no") and whether we were well-funded (I laughed and said "We're not
funded at all"), and he suggested we hire winos to picket with us so we'd
have more people at our protests. He talked with us for a while, and then
another passerby stopped and asked us about our vigil and about Lisa, and
we answered his questions, too.

After they left, we resumed our vigil, ending with the prayer that no one
ever again lose a life to Scientology.






IT'S TIME FOR DINNER, NOW LET'S GO EAT

We were all hungry and ready for some fine food. I went to say goodnight
to Mark, and as I did, he pointed out that he had tried to be much nicer
today, and I heartily agreed ("You were great!"). Although Peaches and
Phil may find it hard to get past his previous behavior, I'm thoroughly
delighted that Mark is no longer nasty. I wished him a very happy holiday,
and I look forward to seeing him in his new non-nasty nature at future
protests.

We crossed the street to the Thai restaurant where Phil had made
reservations and stuffed ourselves on prawns and veggies and curries and
noodles.

While we were talking and eating, we were joined by two more: Madwog and
her friend Longhair. I was utterly thrilled to see them, and we enjoyed
talking and eating some more, all together.

Phil generously picked up the check - THANKS, Phil!!!



DO IT AGAIN

Since Madwog and Longhair had not been able to join in the earlier vigil,
we had a second, brief vigil. Madwog brought a special candle in Lisa's
memory, and she and Longhair did a short waltzing dance in her honor. We
spoke again of the tragic and needless loss of bright and once-happy
lives. During our short second vigil, the lights in the org were turned
off, and a few people left quietly through its darkened door.


We hugged and said good-bye and headed to our cars, and walked together
and talked and hugged some more, and then finally we went home, tired and
chilly, with sobering thoughts of Scientology's victims but also with hope
that those we'd met today would also speak out against Scientology's
abuses.





I heard there was a brief revenge picket at my home by Craig and "some
geeky-looking guy", but I didn't see any fliers.



THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS

My thanks to everyone - Peaches, for coming early and for the marvellous
new sign cover; Phr, for my really wonderful new flier-holder-strap; Phil,
for a scrumptious dinner; and Madwog and Longhair, for coming a long way
to join us. And, of course, I'm grateful to everyone for the excellent
company.

I'm thankful, too, to Mark for no longer being nasty, and to Jeff, for
(mostly) showing his nicer side as well.


I hope the ARSCC(wdne) Cloning Division will finish their Valuable Final
Product in the next few months, so that next year I'll be able to be in
both San Francisco AND Clearwater.



My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Lisa, Rodney,
Susan, Patrice, Noah, Peter, and all the others who have lost their lives
to Scientology.



"... and the eyes of the world are watching now ..."




Kristi


IMPORTANT NOTE!

I am unilaterally calling for the next scheduled
first-Saturday-of-every-month picket to fall on the SECOND Saturday of
January, the 8th, since on New Year's Day we will all be too busy dealing
with worldwide apocalyptic meltdown to attract much attention at a picket
(and besides, some of us might actually be reeking of alcohol for a
change). By the following week, though, the nightmarish hell of Y2K will
be entirely under control, and we'll all be able to picket at the regular
time, 12 - 2. 

See you then!

--
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 11, 1999.