Picket reports
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From: Dave Bird---St Hippo of Augustine dave@xemu.demon.co.uk
Subject: Re: Flying Picket report, London -- 1st November.
Date: Tue, 4 Nov 1997
Hiyas. I just happened to be in London around the Kings Cross Road / Euston Road area with some time on my hands this afternoon before heading out of town. First I popped in KC post office to mail some stuff. Then I thought I'd take a walk along westwards, just past Euston Square and south down Tottenham Court Road, while wearing my nice "STOP $cientology (\) from ruining lives" tee shirt with the crossed out clam on the front. I was wondering if they'd come out and play if I turned up and sang them a song. I needn't have worried. Eight or ten clams were spread out all along in front of the Org and up to the neighboring Goodge St underground station. At one end of the Org stood a black space cadet in a blue blazer. Next to him a bodyrouter with a clipboard was talking to someone, maybe a trainee maybe a punter. " 'ere, you don't want to join that, mate," I enjoined, "it's $cientology, it's very expensive and it's all a load of nonsense." I burst into a quick chorus of.....
XEMU LOVES ME THIS I KNOW,
high above the volcano,
thaytans all to him belong, Hubbard's weak but Xenu's strong:
Yes, Xemu loves me! Yes, Xemu loves me! Yes, Xemu loves me,
my BT's told me so.
They really seemed nonplussed about how to deal with one little SP. I marched up and down them like a general inspecting his troops. "What's this," I said, "Sea org or old school." i peered at the badge on his blazer from about 2 inches away. "Petty Officer; yes, very good". "Nah, it's rubbish, bin it, they just want your money" I said to a punter given a leaflet. He binned it. I started walking back north.
"What's it about, then," said a guy walking up the same way. "Oh, it's a cult called $cientology, they want lots of money off you and tell you MAD STUFF ABOUT SPACE ALIENS". This for the benefit of the clams by the tube station as we drew past -- and another chorus of XEMU Loves You.
I drew past the last clam and stopped, looking at his clipboard and film tickets. "What's this then -- is it free, can I have one?" "Yes it is". So I did (not being a clamhead I would dream of taking their materials without asking and being given permission).
"What's it about---does it tell me about Xemu?"
"Who's Xemu?"
"Don't you know...It's in a level called Operating Thetan Three.
You know about OT3 don't you?"
"I've heard of it" (doubtfully)
"Yes, where the space emperor called Xemu brought a load of aliens here, stacks them round volcanoes, and blew them up with HBombs. And now their ghosts are called body thetans, you've got them haunting them you -- you've got dead space aliens all over your body, and you have to exorcise them."
I peer and point at the sleeve of his jumper, as if I can see a particularly big and juice one there. He googgles at me, fish-eyed as an enturbulated turbot and quite unable to handle me. The space cadet comes up and takes him by the arm. "Ah yes, the captain's come here to tell you not to listen to me. I should look up O.T.3 when you get back to the Org, though."
I walked back north and caught the train home.
All in all I wasn't there more than 3 or 4 minutes, but rattled the hell out of the whole bunch of them. There will no doubt be tears before bedtime, and at least one person will blow. That they had EVERYBODY out front with Sea Org supervision means they are downstat and being pressed hard to improve. When there is a hit and run like this, they have raw recruits out on the street and vulnerable to any voice of truth. The point is not just the five minutes spent there, but the effect on morale when ANY five minutes of any day might get a sudden S.P. visit.
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From: hkhenson@netcom.com (Keith Henson)
Subject: Picket report in San Jose
Date: Mon, 27 Oct 1997
Report on a spur of the moment picket at San Jose
Late Saturday I got tired of figuring out how to get too many functions through too few pins and set off for a short picket. It turned into an hour and forty minute picket and might have cost them 3-4 suckers, maybe more. There were 42 cars parked when I got there at 4:40. About 25 cars came or left while I was there, mostly just after 6 p.m.
Four or five of the people at the org spoke to me while I was picketing. Three of them mildly commenting that my sign was wrong. I suggested they try the Internet where they can read the UFO/space alien stuff in Hubbard's own hand writing. One guy who spoke to me at some length was on his first course. He and his scieno girl friend were having a lot of trouble so he was taking a course because that is what the scn "councilor" said he should do. He was not a happy camper, and was interested in my sign, about scientology being a UFO cult. He wanted to know where to find out more. I told him vast amount of information could be found on the net. He told me he had a web browser. About that time, one of the desk people realized raw meat was out of their control, and being loaded with entheta. He went back in. When he came out again, he would not look at me, and tore out the far exit. I rather imagine they made it clear that his girlfriend was history if he talked to me again, but I would bet long odds he fired up his web browser that evening.
If the guy I talked to happened to find a.r.s and reads this, my sympathy, and a few thoughts for you. People in cults are very much like people with a serious drug addiction. Would you continue a relation with someone who had a major drug problem? I am afraid that a SO mixed up with scn is a formula for disaster. You can read about a number of them on various web pages. Keith Henson hkhenson@netcom.om
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From: hkhenson@netcom.com (Keith Henson)
Subject: Another picket in San Jose
Date: Sat, 18 Oct 1997
I was down in San Jose today, filed a motion for judicial notice of a SC case, and took it by Hogan's office. So, while I was down that direction, I put in a half hour picket at the org on Rosemary. I got there about 4:45.
Ted always wants to know the car count. There were 28 when I got there, including at least one which has not moved in six months. It sure is easy to tell which cars belong to people who have been in scientology for a long time. They drive unrepaired old cars with a collection of dings and dents. When a guy started up a VW Rabbit I thought it might have been a Diesel. (Not that my cars are anything to crow about, but I am not claiming to be a big being with power over MEST.)
About ten minutes into the picket, a guy who might have been a carpenter or a carpet layer or something because of his large tape measure came out and engaged me in talk about my scientology/heaven's gate/both UFO cults--sign. "Do you really believe that" he said. I mentioned that he would have to pay about a $180k in scientology to find out, but he could find out from the internet for free--in Hubbards handwriting yet. I asked him how long he had been in and he said two years. I bet they lose that one. About that time, some of the staff came out and chased him back inside, just as I had predicted to him.
5 p.m. must be shift change. Over the picket about 15 cars came and went, mostly went. I think they might be trying to keep people from getting too close to the entheta. generator of my sign. Near the end a guy came by (near black car, license 2FIHO12 California) and did not enter, but slowed down, finally turning into the parking lot between a Chinese restaurant and the autistic children's center up the block. The guy had a slight resemblance to Gene Ingram, so I walked up and went behind his car. He pulled out and went back to the org. It might have been happenstance, but at that point (about 5:15) a whole mess of cars bugged out, almost as if they had been waiting for me to leave.
Otherwise uneventful. Darlene did not come out, no cameras in sight. Keith Henson
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From: hkhenson@netcom.com (Keith Henson)
Subject: More pickets, Date: Thu, 2 Oct 1997
Just a brief note. I put in all of 15 minutes picket on the San Jose org today about noon. There were 24 cars, including the one which never moves. No reaction, though from the traffic in and out, they knew I was there.
Belated report, I also put in a short picket a week ago. 25 cars. Keith Henson
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From: lsaderrick@aol.com (LsaDerrick)
Subject: Cedars Picket/Xemu Fliers, Date: 13 Sep 1997
Well, they knew Keith was coming and had some of their guys out there holding SP Criminal signs and walking along. There were a couple scuffles..before I got there the Lisa McPherson sign had been spray painted Scientology guy JOE got in Keith's face and tried to grab his camera. I got in the middle of that urging them to be gentlemen. I went for water for Keith and when i came back, they had tried to grab his flyers.
Got my picture taken and was followed around the public sidewalks by a cute Sci-boy. I asked him not to take my picture, he persisted --I put up my hand and he stepped on to Scieno property and told me not to touch his camera.
"I didn't take your picture, you don't take mine. Fair?" I asked and he said yes.
I also asked him to stop following me, which he did not, so after he kept at it around two more corners of the building ( I was on side walk the whole time looking for Keith), I saw some bike cops and called them over saying that I had asked this guy to stop following me and taking my picture, which he hadn't They spoke with him and later with me.
I said to the bike cops truthfully that I am a reporter and my beat is unusual things in LA and that I was looking to give water to someone outside, but couldn't find him, so I had been walking around the building.
At one point earlier when the video cameras were on me I held up the Xemu flyer to cover my face. I didn't pass out fliers at all, as I was observing and debating the various points of Lisa McPherson's death and fair use doctrine.
There was a scuffle as Keith was leaving, a scientologist shoved Keith and took his stack of Xemu fliers and ran with them. Earlier Keith had walked to 7/11 two blocks away and passed out fliers with a cortege of Scientologist with him asking him not to do that.
The scientologist seem to feel that the Xemu flier is a violation of their copyright and said the word SUE a bunch...
Keith will have more details. Elliot the lawyer on McPherson was there as well.
[note this report by Henson is here.]
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From: hkhenson@netcom.com (Keith Henson)
Subject: Another picket, Date: Sun, 7 Sep 1997
Other business had me in San Jose yesterday, so I put in a half hour picketing, 6 to 6:30. No response from the clams at all, when they look at my sign, the try not to show how upset they are. No sign of Darlene.
About ten cars came or left while I was there, plus three or four who walked in from the local grocery store. Peak number of cars was 34, including at least one which has not been moved for months (the patched one on the east side of the building). The Xen/mu graffiti is still on the corner to the east.
There seems to be a bit of a hobo jungle to the east of the building up against the freeway. Keith Henson
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From: hkhenson@netcom.com (Keith Henson)
Subject: Re: Picket Report: Toronto, Sept 1, 1997.: A LOUD Report
Date: Wed, 3 Sep 1997
Well, in celebration of this fine picket, and also of the fact that I was in San Jose on other matters today, I did a solo half hour picket of the org there starting at 5 p.m. No response, no photos from the clams, even though they clearly knew I was there.
I finally walked around to where I could get a good vehicle count. By about +5:25 they were down to 18 cars, and one or two of those are just parked. Perhaps ten or 12 left while I was there. That sure is not very many people in a building that is at least 16,000 sq. feet.
The lack of response was not due to lack of authority because Darlene was there. I saw her leave the building and get into her car. She was upset because she was going too fast when she left the parking lot and seriously scraped the bottom of her car on the way out. Keith Henson
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From: hkhenson@netcom.com (Keith Henson)
Subject: Re: Reminder: Odhran Fortune
Date: Tue, 5 Aug 1997
Martin Poulter (plmlp@mail.bris.ac.uk) wrote:
: I haven't seen it mentioned here much recently, and it deserves wide
: publicity, so I'll just mention that the Odhran Fortune web page is at:
(snip)
: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/5226/
: By keeping Odhran as a topic on this newsgroup, we can maximize the
: embarrassment to the cult that they have earned by taking Odhran from his
: family.
I had a few minutes on my way back from San Jose today, so, using my sign which asks "What Happened to Odhran Fortune" on one side and "Scientology, Heaven's Gate, *Both* UFO Cults" on the other, I went by for a short picket. Perhaps a dozen cult members saw the signs before I cut the picket short.
There was a drunk trying to make his way across the plowed lot next to the San Jose org's building. He would make it no more than ten feet between falling down, though he was doing a fair job of holding on to the bottle. (If you get the idea that the San Jose org is not in the nicest part of San Jose, you are right.) It was hot out, and leaving the guy to his own devices might well have killed him. I mentioned the problem to some of the org people who were out front which produced the standard scientology response--nothing--so I cut the picket short and reported the guy to the cops.
By the way, David Miscavige, the local org does a shameful job of picking up the freeway near the San Jose org where there is a sign saying scientology is responsible for the next mile. That is a *lot* worse than the ratty weeds growing up in the parking lot, because a hundred thousand people a day see the trashy freeway and associate it with scientology. You really should have them tear out the sign if you aren't going to have them pick up the trash. Keith Henson
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From: hkhenson@netcom.com (Keith Henson)
Subject: San Jose picket report, Date: Sun, 27 Jul 1997
Xmudder and I decided it had been too long since CoS locals had felt the effects of a picket, so, after a kind of late start, we gave them one in two installments split by time out for a turkeyburger.
The local clams are getting used to us or Darlene is out of town. Not much in the way of reaction, though one of them claiming to be OT did ask Xmudder to leave while I was off dealing with a page.
There were over 40 cars in the parking lot, not bad, but the San Jose org used to be even larger. Many going in an out were subjected to the entheta. of seeing people picket. One young fellow was obviously new to scientology. After scoffing slightly at my "Both Cults" sign, I told him that the upper level people were indeed a UFO cult, and couldn't say the name of the UFO ruler Xenu. Could he? He could, which placed him at a low level. I suggested he check it out on the net, especially the $360k figure for going up the bridge and he indicated that he might just do that. That one might well be saved.
Another one who came out just after we got back from lunch was from Japan, and had not yet signed up for a class, but they were pressuring him for some $80 class. He was *most* interested in what Xmudder and I had to say about the scientology/dianetics, especially the idea that he was dealing with something similar to the Aum cult. That one is *definitely* will not be back.
We called it quits after about an hour and a half time on the picket. On the way back I put in another half hour at the Mt. View org. There is much more street traffic there, and I get a lot of cheers and thumbs up from the people driving by.
I think more pickets are in order. Anyone who wants to picket San Jose, but does not want to try it alone, let me know. Keith Henson
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From: hkhenson@netcom.com (Keith Henson)
Subject: Re: San Jose Picket Report, Date: Sun, 29 Jun 1997
Other business took me back to San Jose Sunday morning. Since I still had my picket sign in the back of the car, and in the interest of getting more out of the trip, I decided to drop by and picket the San Jose org again for maybe half an hour.
I had not been there ten minutes when a tow truck showed up. It was one of the new one which can haul a car on the bed and tow one behind. It already had one car on board so I figured they might be dropping off another dead car. I watched as it went around the back and stopped to pick up the wrecked car on the east side of the building I mentioned *yesterday*. Talk about being at Cause! I couldn't resist, so I asked the driver when the order for picking the car up had come. He looked at the order and said the car should have been picked up Friday. Perhaps they employed OT power over time and went back two days. I also failed to ask if he was a scientologist. :-) Well, in any case, the place looks less seedy with the wrecked car gone. Now if they could just kill the weeds poking up through the pavement . . .
There were a lot more cars there this morning, maybe as many as forty. All to the good, more people to expose. I didn't talk to as many as yesterday, but one of those I did talk to was *excellent*. He was newly into dianetics, (you could tell from the nice new car as opposed to the ratty ones old timers have) and was utterly surprised that anyone would oppose this fine new thing he had found. I must have talked to him for well over ten minutes. In the middle of our conversation, one of his keepers came out and tried to get him to move on and not talk to me. He was clearly not much into it yet because he told her to bug off and let him talk. They then got someone to drive up behind him and get him to move. But I suspect we will see him on the net checking out Lisa McPherson and the "UFO Cult" aspects of scientology.
I had been there just over an hour when Darlene showed up. She made up for missing me yesterday by talking to me for nearly an hour, most of it on tape. I wish I could say more about the off tape conversation, but the things she was *not* surprised about--wow!
Poor Darlene. Calling me a bigot just does not push a button. I did get one of the more interesting interpretation of "works 100%." Scientology works 100% for those for which it works. Well, yes . . .
I have to give Darlene credit though. Probing her on the topic revealed that she understands the reason for control groups and blind/double blind experiments (placebo effect). She is very first scientologist I have ever talked to on the net or off who had the slightest clue about such things. She also recognized (using the Heaven's Gate and Jim Jones examples) that spiritual beliefs can lead people far away from common sense, and came close to understanding that might have been what happened to Lisa McPherson.
Altogether an interesting way to spend a morning. Maybe again this evening. Keith Henson
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From: hkhenson@netcom.com (Keith Henson)
Subject: San Jose Picket Report, Date: Sun, 29 Jun 1997
As Ted M. would say, it was a one org kind of day, but an interesting one. I put in an hour and a half solo picketing the San Jose org from 6:30 to 8 p.m. It's a good time, since many come and go. The San Jose org is about a block east of North First St. just north of the 880 freeway. Very little foot traffic except clams going off to eat dinner or hit a grocery store. Some vehicle traffic, four honked in support, more waved. One side of my sign said,
What Happened to
Odhran
Fortune?
and the other said:
Scientology--
Heaven's Gate--
Both
UFO CULTS!
(and in little letters, Wogs at Cause -- Knights of Xenu)
Odhran's name had no effect on the fifteen or so clams who looked at it. But the other side, hoo boy, did *that* get a reaction! Even though we on the net have known about the Xenu story so long as to think nothing of it, the rank and file scientology members still don't know and get rather upset when confronted by wogs who know what lies in store for them. One of them demonstrated his reactive mind by giving me the finger. I thought that was funny and told him "Thank you!" and "ARC!"
The half dozen who had more than a few word with me assured me that scientology was definitely *not* a UFO cult. Man are *they* in for a surprise when they get to OT III.
While a pair of them came out for the inevitable photo, and took a copy of my Odhran handout from the net, Darlene did not show for the first time. Either out of town or desensitized to pickets I guess.
This is the third time I have picketed the San Jose org, about the same time on a Saturday. Perhaps it is just summer, and even clams take vacations, but it seemed to me that there were fewer cars there this time. One of the wrecked junkers has now been there about six months. Keith Henson
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Minneapolis Mini-picket report 10/26/97
From: wnb@ns1.inxpress.net (Warren Brown)
First, since this is my first substantive de-lurk, a little about myself. I've been interested in cult activities since my early college days (1978). Back then, the Moonies were active on my campus, and I was in the midst of a great deal of soul-searching regarding religion, life, the world, etc. I was breaking away from my Methodist upbringing and looking for answers. Perfect fodder for a cult. Chatting it up with the Moonies and the bible-thumpers on the mall became something of a pasttime for me and I learned a great deal. Luckily for me, common sense and a wariness about the feeling I got from the Moonies, that they were hiding their true nature for marketing reasons and taking advantage, emotionally and financially, of their believers kept me away from them. That inoculation against the cult modus operandi, coupled with a solid college education, lead me to a happy, stable belief system founded on atheism and the scientific method.
Many years have passed since then. I was first drawn to a.r.s by news reports in the popular media about the spam attack by the tchurdch (spit) and their attempts to silence critics. Since then I have been lurking and learning here (well, I did give up for a while until the spam settled down). Athough I haven't earned my stripes by going through the Scieno system and breaking out, the issues that are operative here are dear to my heart. Logic, reason, the scientific method and the bill of rights; these are the foundations of my world. Scientology (tm) is an insult to all of these. So that's a small taste of my motivation for the following.
Here in my neck of the woods, I'm unfortunate in that there are no scieno orgs nearby to pester. (Would that the rest of the world were so unlucky) However, I was recently invited to a party in Minneapolis. On the slate of activities for the weekend was a visit to the "Dianetics Center" downtown - my friend said that she and some others wanted to go down to pester the clams, since they were unhappy about their cars constantly being littered with IQ tests.
Finally faced with the opportunity to put my mouth where my beliefs lie, I printed out 200 copies of the Xemu leaflet and headed for the Twin Cities.
Sunday noon was overcast and cold, mid 30's F and windy. The org is right on the downtown pedestrian mall and my friend had assured me of plenty of foot traffic. I don't think she counted on the un-seasonably cold weather. There were a few passers-by, so I happily took my position right outside the entrance to the org/bookstore and began trying to interest the pedestrians in the Xemu flier. My activities immediately drew the interest of the clams inside. There was a fluster of activity in the doorway as they seemingly tried to decide what to do. Soon one of them came out and asked for a copy of the leaflet, scanned the headline and then repeated it as a question, "Who _is_ Xemu?" as if he didn't know. I suggested he read it and find out.
I had a few moments of respite from the clams, and I continued to try to interest the pedestrians enough to take the flier. I was having some difficulty until one of my friends, who is a marketing professional suggested that I try the line, "Scientology doesn't want you to read this!" I adopted that and quickly began having more success. Still quite a few of the peds seemed to think I was a clam and did their best to ignore me. I probably got up to about a 40% acceptance rate. Coupled with the weather-depressed foot traffic, I probably passed out only 15 copies all told. But for me, there is more of the story to be told:
An older woman (late 40's to 50's?) exited the org, and on her way past, demanded my name. I was reluctant to give it, and she gave her first name, saying, "_I_ don't have anything to hide." Soon after, a man, who seemed to be in charge came out and made contact with me. He started with the same thing, "What's your name?" Feeling like I should have the courage of my convictions, I gave him my real name. Was this a mistake? I know quite a bit about the efforts the clams will go to to harass critics.
When we got the names out of the way (he gave me his, but it went in one ear and out the other - I was too distracted by trying to hold a converstation at the same time I was trying to deal with the foot traffic), he set off on a virtual interogation of me - who did I work for, what group was I with, why was I doing this, had I ever taken a clam course or read a book. He was incredulous at my answers - seemed impossible for him to believe that I could be doing this at my own behest, not having ever been "into" Scientology (tm).
After he was done "vetting" me, he leaned in and said, "you know, we consider this a suppressive act, and you a suppressive person. Do you know what that means?" With a great deal of glee in my heart, I assured him that I was aware of the term.
I think I just earned my SP1!!! Could I please have confirmation from the ARSCC (wdne)? It would be a real badge of honor for me to wear.
During our talk, I noticed that a couple with a video camera had come around the far corner of the building (apparently not from the main entrance) and taped us briefly. I would guess it was the clams, but that's just supposition on my part.
Our clam spokesman, after calling me an SP, said that I would have to leave now. I of course informed him of my belief that I was within my 1st amendment rights and on a public sidewalk. That put him off for a while. He made several trips in and out of the building during all of this, and at several points I saw him speaking with a man in what seemed to me to be an usher's uniform - black topcoat with a silver chain. But the "usher" was also wearing a rack of campaign ribbons on his chest. Could this have been a SeaOrger?
Eventually, Mr. Spokesman came out with Mr. Usher. They approached me and and he said to Mr. Usher, "he needs to leave now." I again said that I felt that I was well within my rights and that it would take a lawful order from a police officer to get me to move. He said something along the lines of, yes, that's a good idea, and went back in the building, not to reappear again while I was there.
A couple of other younger men then came out and it seemed like they were trying to surround me with new racks of literature - a rack of "A New Slant..." and one of (I think) ASI magazine with the face of L.Ron Hoover himself leering at me like a jaundiced October moon.
I did my best to stand my ground for a bit, but I was getting cold and my friends soon suggested we move on - we had a few errands, and then the airport to get to for another friend. So after perhaps 30 to 45 minutes, I moved on. Not too many fliers given out, but in terms of enturbulation caused and (hopefully) earning my SP1, I was ready to call it a minor success.
The clams lack of respect for my free speech rights and their attitude in general have guaranteed that I will be back for more. Maybe in the spring when warmer weather and more pedestrians beckon.
Oh, and by the way - if there're any clams reading who are already aware of my little picket, I want to assure you that your threats to call the police had nothing to do with my exit.
I'll be back. Hail Xemu!!!