Ahh. Back home, fresh from the latest Brisbane picket. Cooked dinner. Ate dinner. Settled down to watch some telly. "Hmm, what's on the box tonight?" I mused as I scanned the weekly TV guide. Heh, Tom Cruise in "Top Gun" at 8:30 pm.From: Neil Muspratt <neil@fit.qut.edu.au> Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology Subject: Picket Report : Brisbane, Fri 14 Mar Date: 15 Mar 1997 06:08:33 GMT Organization: Queensland University of Technology, Australia Lines: 110 Distribution: world Message-ID: <5gded1$713@dove.qut.edu.au> NNTP-Posting-Host: sky.fit.qut.edu.au Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Newsreader: TIN [UNIX 1.3 unoff BETA 970222; sun4u SunOS 5.5.1]
I started writing the picket report instead.
I'm starting to get seriously pissed off with the criminal cult. The whole week has been interesting to say the least. It started late on Monday afternoon when my immediate boss brought in a copy of one of my posts to a.r.s advertising today's picket, printed from the Deja News WWW site. Apparently the local DSA Lyn Smith didn't like it very much and lodged a complaint with my faculty's admin officer over the phone, faxing the copy of my post afterwards. Now Lyn, you don't strike me as the computer geek type. Own up. Someone else sent you that, didn't they?
I'll be posting more about this little event later. Really, I can't imagine why Lyn complained. The last time we payed the org a visit, I overheard Lyn agreeing to someone's comment that they always get more enquiries after pickets. Good for business and all that. So Lyn, how come we never get asked to come back? Huh?
Stuart Riley started the ball rolling outside the local org at about 4:00 pm and I turned up 10 to 15 minutes later. Work. You know how it is. They had prepared a big welcome for us. Up to 12 $cientologists were out there at one time. I didn't know they had that many in Brisbane. Gosh, new faces keep cropping up at every picket. Soon I'll have met all of them. One big happy clam family. Smile for the camera please! *click*
Speaking of photographs, I found out why the Co$ keeps taking mug shots of SPs all the time. Lyn said she has to keep replacing the photographs because they get dart holes in them. Very cute. Did you think that one up all by yourself or did you have help? And did you know that you can reuse the negatives to make more of the same prints?
We didn't get as many leaflets out this time around, probably just over 100. People walking past just didn't seem interested, probably because of the large Co$ contingent. We were hard to pick out in the crowd. I wonder if a Xenu costume would go down well over here? He seemed particularly effective in sending the clams ape at Clearwater.
Just like last time, it seems the reputation of the Co$ is quite well known among the members of the general public who work in the city and pass the org regularly. I have not once encountered a pedestrian who has said I'm doing the wrong thing. Plenty of them have said the exact opposite. We were even getting thumbs up from some people pulled up in cars on the road, waiting for the traffic lights to change.
Stuart and I stood at the periphery of the crowd, one concentrating on each end, so we didn't get to speak to each other much. I attracted the attention of two women I've not seen before, who seemed to take it upon themselves to find out why I was doing what I was doing. What the heck, I may as well be civil and engage in conversation. Pedestrians were ignoring me anyway.
It was the usual stuff. Psychs, drugs (she claimed not to take any, even aspirin), Dianetics, ECT, more drugs (I told her I like to have my daily dose of Prozac), conspiracy theories, the Purif, copyright, the Internet, how great L. Rong^H was, how wonderful Narconon and Criminon programs are, etc. She attested to OT something or other but didn't seem to know where $cientology first started up its activities. "... in England ..." Oh, and she didn't know Xenu. Strange. I do.
She seemed particularly interested in my laboratory assistant job. I think she got the impression I like to cook things up in the lab in my spare time. Actually, as I said to her more than once, I work with computers, not organic chemicals. I do have a good recipe for quiche though.
Struth I hate the way some of them look. Those eyes. There's something just not right with the eyes. She was like that. Brrrr.
Most of the conversation and interaction was fairly polite, even good humoured at times, which seems to be a feature of most of the devotees here in Brisbane. Unlike some of the ones I've read about at the org in Sydney. You know who you are, cockroaches.
Surprise, surprise. Lyn proposed that we meet somewhere to discuss my dislike of $cientology. Well why not. Murray? Here's your chance. Want to come along for a chat with you know who sometime? Make a list.
The highlight of the picket for me was the response of one particular female pedestrian. She just stopped in her tracks a few metres away as she approached me and my shadow, stunned that there was actually someone *picketing* $cientology. The praise for what we were doing just flowed spontaneously from her and was totally unexpected. She refused to speak to the $cientologist beside me, saying to her repeatedly that she "would not engage in dialogue" with her. To this woman, seen and heard but still anonymous, I give you my thanks. You made my day and made the picket all worthwhile. And by the way, I'm single and unattached. :-)
We finished up right on 6:00 pm. The crowd let off a small cheer as we departed. Thanks guys. I think we did pretty well too.
The fight goes on. Stay tuned.
--
_.-_|\ Neil Muspratt (SP3) Tel : + 61 7 3864 2146
/ QUT Technical Services Section Fax : + 61 7 3864 1959
\_.--,_/ Faculty of Information Technology Net : neil@fit.qut.edu.au
v GPO Box 2434 Brisbane Qld 4001 PGP : 2.6.3i (send email)
A committee is a cul-de-sac down which ideas are lured and then
quietly strangled.
- Barnett Cocks
From: fun@tertius.net.remove_this_spamtrap_to_email.au (David Gerard) Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology,melb.general,aus.religion,aus.politics Subject: Melbourne: anti-Scientology demo, Sat 15th March Date: 11 Mar 1997 12:14:55 GMT Organization: Xenu Lines: 157 Message-ID: <slrn5iah43.h6v.fun@dora.tertius.net.au> NNTP-Posting-Host: dora.tertius.net.au X-Newsreader: slrn (0.9.1.1 BETA UNIX) Xref: szdc alt.religion.scientology:163041 aus.religion:6329 aus.politics:57919
PROTEST against SCIENTOLOGY Demonstration against actions of Scientology: Saturday 15th March 1997, 11:00am The Church of Scientology, Melbourne will again be host to a peaceful protest on Saturday March 15th from 11:00am to 1:00pm. March's protest will be held in honour of Lisa McPherson, age 36, who died under suspicious circumstances at the Church's headquarters in Clearwater, Florida in late 1995. A policy called the Introspection Rundown teaches that members who are perceived to have had a "psychotic break" (e.g. a staffer wishing to leave) be put into isolation and not allowed their freedom until the 'case supervisor' determines that the member has recovered from his or her 'psychotic break'. It is this policy that is thought to have led to Lisa McPherson's death. The Church conducts the 'Introspection Rundown' in Australia also. Protestors will be focusing on the Church's policies that hurt both its own members and the general public - policies instrumental in the death of Lisa McPherson in Clearwater. In Italy and France this past year, high-ranking Scientologists have been jailed for manslaughter and fraud; and court cases are pending against the Church and its organisations in Greece, Spain and other countries. Suicides, such as those of Patrice Vic in France and Noah Lottick and Richard Collins in Britain, are related to the policies of the Church. The Scientologists took aggressive action against picketers at the Clearwater, Florida picket on March 8th. The picketers were met with a crowd of Scientologist counter-protestors numbering approximately 200. The counter-protestors blocked signs and verbally harassed picketers. At the candlelight vigil that followed, the Scientologists responded with even more harassment, surrounding those carrying the candles, and even blowing out the candles. Critics point out that it is not the religious beliefs of the Church to which they object, but rather such policies as the Introspection Rundown, and those directing Scientologists to attack "suppressive persons" - anyone who criticises the Church, or is perceived as an enemy. Scientology is known as an extremely litigious organisation, as per Hubbard's policy: "the law can be used very easily to harass ... if possible, of course, ruin them utterly." This is not an issue of the religious teachings of Scientology; but rather, of a systematic attempt by a large and powerful organisation, with considerable resources at hand, to eliminate criticism of itself through any means possible. Such actions are utterly against the interests of a free and democratic society and will be protested until they cease. The protest will be held outside the Church's Russell Street offices (corner of Russell Street and Flinders Lane) on Saturday 15th of March at 11:00am. The protest, one of many being held around the world, is being organised through the Internet and media campaigns. For more information, contact: David Gerard PO Box 2097 Greville St. Prahran 3181 e-mail: fun@suburbia.net World Wide Web: http://www.suburbia.net/~fun/scn/ INTERNET INFORMATION ABOUT SCIENTOLOGY http://www.scientology.org/ Official Church of Scientology site. http://www.freezone.org/ Freie Zone e.V - Independent Scientologists who believe in the 'tech' but do not agree with the official Church's actions or control methods. http://www.primenet.com/~cultxpt/lisa.htm Lisa McPherson Memorial - Lisa died suspiciously while in CoS custody, held on the 'Introspection Rundown'. http://www.tiac.net/users/modemac/cos.html Introduction to alt.religion.scientology http://www.cybercom.net/~rnewman/scientology/home.html The Church of Scientology versus The Net - comprehensive history and extensive media archive http://www.suburbia.net/~fun/scn/ Australian Critics of Scientology resource page http://www.demon.co.uk/castle/audit/anderson.html The Anderson Report - Report of the Board of Enquiry into Scientology by Kevin Victor Anderson, Q.C. - the report that led to the banning of Scientology in Victoria from 1965 until 1982 http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/~av282/books.htm Full list of books on Scientology (including Internet copies) by Martin Hunt http://www.inx.de/%7Etilman/j/tftrap.html The Total Freedom Trap by Jon Atack http://www.xs4all.nl/~txtbreed/scandal.htm The Scandal of Scientology by Paulette Cooper http://www.xs4all.nl/~kspaink/rmiller/index.html http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/bfm/ Bare Faced Messiah by Russell Miller - biography of L. Ron Hubbard http://www.singnet.com.sg/~marina/books/vosper/bender.html http://www.suburbia.net/~fun/scn/books/ The Mind Benders by Cyril Vosper - first book about Scientology by an ex-member http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/xenu/ http://www.xs4all.nl/~txtbreed/xenu.htm The Road To Xenu by Margery Wakefield - first-person account of life as a Scientology staffer and in the Sea Org http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/NOTs NOTs Scholars' Page - academic analysis of the New Era Dianetics for Operating Thetans (read before purchase) http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Fishman/ClamBed.html The Fishman Affidavit - contains the original versions of Operating Thetan levels I-VII And read the Internet newsgroup alt.religion.scientology for events as they happen! -- http://www.suburbia.net/~fun/scn -- email me if it doesn't work for you http://wpxx02.toxi.uni-wuerzburg.de/~gerard/ (European mirror) mailto: fun@suburbia.net fun@tertius.net.au ** next Internet pickets against $cientology: March 7th-16th, 1997 ** ** see http://www.primenet.com/~cultxpt/demo.htm for details **
Picket Report: Melbourne, March 15th 1997From: fun@tertius.net.remove_this_spamtrap_to_email.au (David Gerard) Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology Subject: Picket Report: Melbourne, March 15th 1997 Date: 16 Mar 1997 10:24:33 GMT Organization: Xenu Lines: 130 Message-ID: <slrn5infon.ium.fun@dora.tertius.net.au> NNTP-Posting-Host: dora.tertius.net.au X-Newsreader: slrn (0.9.1.1 BETA UNIX)
We'd used more or less the same leaflet the previous three Melbourne demos, so I decided to do a different one (the demo announcement as posted), adapted from Ray Randolph's Boulder picket leaflet; mainly on the theme of Lisa McPherson. Also, to make it *absolutely clear* which side we were on, I made up new signs: one sign with 'ANTI- SCIENTOLOGY DEMO' on both sides, and the other with 'SCIENTOLOGY HURTS PEOPLE' on one side and 'IT'S NOT ABOUT RELIGION' on the other. Font used was Univers Bold, 200- point for the word 'SCIENTOLOGY' and 255-point for all other words; readable from way down the street.
On my way to the demo (stopping at a local hobby shop to buy furniture tacks for the signs, in fact), a woman in the street stopped me to ask about my 'ANTI-SCIENTOLOGY DEMO' sign. I told her that, yes, we were having one in town in about twenty minutes (I was running late as usual), and she proceeded to gush out the tale of her daughter getting sucked into Scientology and the expense and heartache it had caused. I may have been the first person she'd ever met working against them; I'm sure a few of you have had this happen. I told her that I really had to rush, but gave her a leaflet and told her to go to the local library and look up the Internet info listed on the back (http://www.suburbia.net/~fun/scn/demo/leaflets/net-back.html) - I'm now *very* glad I put at the top to look this stuff up at your local library - and that the Internet was on the case and the Church of Scientology was going *down* ;-) and there was my address, get in touch. This sort of thing happening makes it all seem just that little bit more worthwhile.
Oh yeah, and the taxi driver was pleased with what I was doing too. Scn's public image is wonderful.
Got there just before 11am, Frank Copeland got there and we assembed the signs. Saw Brian Johnston, gave him our leaflet and saw that they were just using the green 'Victims of CultAware' leaflet and copies of the Australian 'Freedom' (the same one as ever). Frank had done seventy copies of the 'Stop The Harassment' leaflet (http://www.suburbia.net/~fun/scn/demo/leaflets/net-front.html) - which was just as well, as I'd only done seventy of mine and we actually ran out of leaflets just before 1pm. Frank had also made up some nice stickers saying 'NOT A SCIENTOLOGIST' for us to wear (on lapel and back).
A policeman came up to see what was going on, and we explained that we expected nothing at all untoward to happen; he had spoken to Cyril Vosper earlier in the week and had heard about Sydney last September, so I specifically reassured him that Melbourne was *much* more civilised ... really ...
Frank crossed the road with the 'ANTI-' sign and we showed our signs to passing cars (a fair few thumbs-up) and handed out leaflets. The Scientologists had a few guys handing out leaflets and one fellow working the video camera. The video dude came over and said "What's that about, Scientology hurting people?" and I handed him my Lisa leaflet. Which he proceeded to read - both sides. That's fine by me. (Particularly as I also gave one to the replacement video dude an hour later.) Cyril took some photos.
Two more police stopped by and chatted to both sides to check that things would remain calm. I reassured them again and gave them a leaflet. The policeman - a young fellow, about twenty - referred to them as a 'cult' in conversation. I think the police were edgy about the anti- Nazi demo across town (which apparently turned out as expected - eighty police defending forty neo-Nazis and their National Action book-shop from a few *thousand* pissed-off non-Aryans), and wanted quite a bit of reassurance that they wouldn't be needed elsewhere.
The foot traffic was considerably up this time. A lot of nicely-dressed people came by with name-tags and took our leaflets and theirs. After a while Cyril found out who they were: psychiatrists gathering across the street! (The launch of a new anti-depressant; science hammers another nail in Scientology's coffin.) Which explained the Scientologists' hastily-scribbled (and hard to read close- up, let alone across the street) anti-psychiatry signs.
Amusing moments: the guy in a utility (US: pick-up truck) who stopped at the lights and yelled for one of our leaflets - as he drove off, the Scientologist photographer ran after him and chucked a leaflet in the back of the ute. The Scn leafleter who was told to get over the other side of the street, and started across about three times before working out that it would be a good idea to wait for the light to change - dig that unswerving determination! The public Scn who came up to ask us what the hell we were on about and seemed utterly shocked that anyone would actually demonstrate against Scientology; he ended up chatting to Cyril for ten minutes.
I tried for media coverage, the total being a call from Channel Seven (telly! yesss!) ... at 11am at my home, when the leaflet I'd sent said the demo would be on. And no, I don't have a mobile phone. (Analogue mobiles are now <$50 - they're being phased out in three years - and the setup fee is now less than the cost of a second line ... hmm, that might be an idea.)
The demo was basically uneventful; three of us (four for the last half hour), five or six of them at any time. The public was very happy with what we were doing, though even with our new-look ultra-obvious signs it still took a moment for some to work out what side we were on. The psychiatrists were amused. A *fine* demo and a lovely morning out. I'll have to do more leaflets for the next one. More people next time please; I know there's a lot of Melbourne lurkers out there.
Hmm, time to change that .sig . Early June, anyone? Is there a Scn-significant date we can fit in?
-- http://www.suburbia.net/~fun/scn -- email me if it doesn't work for you http://wpxx02.toxi.uni-wuerzburg.de/~gerard/ (European mirror) mailto: fun@suburbia.net fun@tertius.net.au ** next Internet pickets against $cientology: March 7th-16th, 1997 ** ** see http://www.primenet.com/~cultxpt/demo.htm for details **