Picket reports

Subject: Sacramento Ricket Report
From: Sean Sasser #meklar@ix.netcom.com
Date: Sun, 07 Dec 1997

After oversleeping, and bouts with unproved technology the ARSCC Public Information Assistance Team lurched into action. We began picketing the Sacramento Org at about 1:45 pm. Downtown Sacramento is a ghost town after working hours and on weekends so foot traffic was very light. We did get a few supportive horn blasts and thumbs up from passing car traffic. Our pickets signs read "Scientology Hurts People", "Scientology is a UFO Cult" and "Did 100% Standard Tech Kill Lisa McPherson", "Scientology the otherUFO Cult".

There was no reception committee to counter our picket, the Orgs response was to take our photos. We came prepared with a disposable camera and responded in kind. We were under near constant observation by Org members on rotating smoke breaks. There were classes progress so the Org closed the window shades to prevent the students from reading our signs. On one window the shade was broken and after a time a few students came up to the window to read our picket signs. Shortly there after the window shade was repaired and dropped to prevent further entheta from reaching into the Org.

We picketed for about two and half hours. During that time Elvis scored a coup by giving an exiting student a flyer, which she read. I managed to attract a UFO bible nut, who became interested after reading our picket signs. His religious thoughts were just as way out as Co$ documents I've read. We did get three young adults educated about Co$ and gave them flyers. We had been talking to the trio few a while when a clam came out of the Org and approached our group. He listened in for a few moments and then said "It's all crap!" and walked back into the Org. A photo of him is now in the picket scrap book.

At one point during out picket a pick up truck parked next to us and a read haired man got out. He walked next to Elvis gave him a death stare and said something to the effect of "I'll be back to deal with you" and disappeared in to the Org. I was a the other end the building listening to the UFO bible nut when this occurred. I became concerned that he would become involved in any Co$ reaction and advised him to be on his way. Which he did after reminding me to be careful about tactical nuclear weapons being transported in the gas tanks of unwitting persons (sigh). Strangely nothing happened, no death stares, counter pickets, no intention beams, nothing, zip, nada.

When we decided to leave we picked up a tail. One clam who had been smoking at the entrance of the Org followed us at distance. The game was a foot! We walked a distance and ducked into a foot path when our tail lost sight of us for a moment. We waited for a time and then stepped out of the footpath to double back on our path. We nearly bowled over our tail as we exited from our niche. The look on the face of our clam tail was priceless. I snapped his photo and Elvis approached him and and ask if he was following us, which he lamely denied.

We departed, our tail heading in his original path of travel and us in the opposite direction. After he turned a corner we cut across a parking lot to the far side of the block. We "bumped" into each other once more as he made a circuit looking for us. We passed each other without word or eye contact. Both parties walked a few yards passed each other when Elvis and I ducked behind a building. We looked around the corner just in time to see our tail duck behind a tree. I was laughing so hard I nearly wet pants. Then a car pulled next to us carrying Mike (our clam photographer and body router we had met during our first picket), and a driver. Our tail had a cell phone and had called in that he had been spotted. A few a hellos the car borne calms drove off and and the foot borne calm returned to the clam bed. Elvis and I agreed that such intimidation tactics could not go unanswered. We returned to the Org for more picketing.

When we returned to the Org all the advertising logos has been turned off. There were still a number of people in the Org taking courses and so forth, but it appeared that the Org was closed for the night. We picketed for about 15 minutes and decided to have dinner at a cafe that is across the street. We were waiting for our order when another clam (I recognized him from his "smoke break" in front of the Org) and ordered a small coffee which he paid for in small change ($2.50) and left. During our meal a second clam came in and ordered a take out dish. This was a bread and butter clam, he was dressed nice and he and his wife drove up in mini van. He paid for his order in bills and left.

Elvis and I spent about 45 minutes in the cafe eating and talking. When finally we parted we spotted no tail on foot or vehicle. We dove back to my neighborhood to have the film developed at a 1 hour place. So ended Sacramento's contribution to the world wide protest of Scientology. Meklar SP3+