Picket reports
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Subject: Periwinkle Proxy Picket
From: zinjifar@inreach.com (Zinjifar)
Date: 8 Feb 98 02:22:06 GMT
It's middle in El Nino, so picketing in LA has been questionable the last week. But Keith Henson is practically precluded from picketing since his first amendment rights are being abrogated. What is one to do? Maybe do a proxy picket. I've had 4 signs with joking and degrading letters; X, E, N, U, for quite a while. Maybe it's time to say to the cult that enjoys ripping first amendment rights away that they are pulling in strange things.
Snefru agrees to go. Keith is brave, but he's found out, the LA orgs are fighting dens of home. Neither of us has ever picketed before, so we are both naive and paranoid.
We find a GREAT parking place, across the street from the Celebrity Center, on Franklin. The pavilion is right there, and full. It has a lot of tamed Cedars that form an almost impenetrable wall. Despite the length of the signs, there is only about 10 feet near the corner where anybody in the pavilion could see anything from outside.
I start asking people.. would you walk for 20 minutes for $10? haha We find a couple who seem interested, but the best, a guy who wanted to go get his sons since we needed 3 people, never came back. I think he heard from his wife that he really shouldn't do that.
Unfortunately, the camcorder was screwed. I'd only used it as a camera for months, and we couldn't even get the tape out. Bummer.
I Stood on the corner waiting for the guy to come back with his sons, while Snefru went and bought a toss-away camera. Snefru got back, the guy, probably thinking better of it didn't.
Snef and I looked at each other and laughed.. then took the 4 signs, in 4 hands, and walked around the building.
To start with it was silly. Nobody even noticed, until we came by the driveway, where some monica lewinsky type chicks asked us what we were doing. We asked them.. well, do you know scientology? They said yes, obviously since they were going into the parking lot, and then if they knew the OT III level? They became very enturbulated, and we kept walking.
We came to a door on what one would not think of as still the CC unless one noticed the sign 'Staff Only'. I hope the picture came out. I think Xenu would appreciate 'staff only'
A 'servant' I don't know how else to say it, in silk and bow tie was dumping trash in a container next to the door marked 'Staff Only' I asked him if he'd mind taking a picture of us with our signs, but he very carefully fled. Snef stood next to the trash can, hopefully with all XENU letters showing next to the 'Staff Only' sign.
Until now, I would have thought that much of the paranoia about picketing was much ado about nothing. As we went around the corner, we picked up a tail.. a small swarthy man in a white polo shirt. I happened to notice him (both of us were carrying 2 signs) and said hey snef, OSA behind.
He met up with us about halfway up the block. And asked us what this was all about. I said.. well, don't you know? His walkie talkie seemed to indicate to me that he did, but he was friendly to start with.
I asked him if he knew what XENU means, and he said no.
I asked him if he knew what OT levels were. He said yes.
Snefru recited the OTIII things like an SP robot. hehe, the guy freaked
He pointed to his t-shirt, and asked.. 'You see this!?' (it was an embroidered 'security') I read it very slowly to him.. Se cur it y - Snef and I were not laughing, but we were definitely smiling.
He said.. you have to leave, we smiled some more. We continued walking. He told his walky talky that they would 'take care of us'
As we passed the front of the Center again, (on Franklin) we passed the pavilion again. While it had been full before it was now empty. Snef and I looked at each other and decided to do another round.
While there had been people coming and going before it was practically empty. Our friendly polo-shirted security agent was behind us, till we looked back, and suddenly there was nobody.
On the north leg of the walk, I said, let's go somewhere else, and we kept walking. You have to understand, an amazing number of people local to the CC are scientologists. When people asked us what the hell this XENU shit was we asked them if they knew scientology. All said yes. (by the way, Snef does a really cool OTIII rundown)
Our polo-shirt guy was gone, but, a tiny guy, looked like a molgravian in a vinyl trench coat carrying a walky talky passes us. We hit Franklin again, and went left, got in the car, and looked for new venues.
While looking around Snef saw this sign on a building that looked like a bank. It was L Ron Hubbard Life Exposition. It was on a corner, had a bus-stop in front of it. I said.. that I want a pic of. So we parked and I took all 4 signs across the street while Snef stayed on the side with the camera. A Cop was standing on the corner, and I said Hiya as I went to his side and spread the letters.
As Snef says now, that asshole, the letters were backwards. So if it comes out, it will either be UNEX or I'll reverse the picture. hehe
Once I thought Snef had gotten the pic from the other side of the street I collected the signs and walked towards the corner.
The 'cop' said just a minute sir.. and I turned to him and smiled as he took my picture. I then asked him.. geez dude.. are you imitating a cop? Yes, very good imitation. I'm surprised that the LAPD isn't more pissed off.
I have an old Thomas guide, so Elron Way isn't listed, but Snef and I wanted to do some more. So we drove around. After leaving L Ron Hubbard Live Exposition we picked up a tail.
We looked at each other and laughed, although I'm sure they wanted the car license, probably more they wanted the intimidation. We picked up a second tail. Maybe we're naive, but an attack in downtown LA seemed less than likely. There is no doubt that they wanted us to think that though. The cars following us made no attempt to hide.
I didn't know how to find L Ron Hubbard Way, but.. we did know how to find the Celebrity Center, so we decided to go back. My theory was that since we'd moved on they wouldn't be expecting us. hehe
I'm not sure if my theory was correct or not. When we got back there were at least 3 people with video cameras, and we turned down the side street next to the CC and a Mustang convertible, (not a good choice for rainy LA) with 2 guys and 2 girls went past us in the other direction. Snef said.. shit! they have a camera! hahahaha, It was as if somebody had a California dream.
We went around the block, and back into the same side street. Amaze me, the Mustang was standing at the curb, and Glenn Barton was talking to the inhabitants. In the meantime we'd picked up two tails, who were changing lanes and such in a one lane side street.
We did one more swing around, and the place looked like an anthill that had been kicked. Nobody in the pavilion :) Lots of 'security' people, we had 2 cars behind us. We smiled and left. but I betcha they didn't know that. Must have ruined Barton's Saturday.
(oh by the way, on our last swing through Barton had gone inside, but they had a stack of picket signs leaning on the fence. I wonder what they said?)hehe, Zinj
Subject: Tropical Storm Minton causes much enturbulation, but no rain
From: mdallara@kcii.com (Mark Dallara)
Picket Report; Saturday, February 7, 1998, Clearwater, FL
Pictures
Quick Summary: Picketers: Bob Minton, Garry Scarff, and Mark Dallara
OSA: Ben Shaw, Brian Anderson, Pat Jones, and a dozen or so agents
Media: Freelance TV crew
Locations: Ft. Harrison Hotel, Clearwater Bank Building, Sandcastle
Time: 11:00AM to about 12:15 or so
"Tropical Storm Minton" [NOTE:(left)Minton - Dallara]
I met up with Bob at his hotel this morning, and apparently he had been served with a subpoena as he walked out of the lobby to the valet area. Now the $cientology attorneys want to depose him in Tampa for Keith Henson's TRO hearing, despite the fact that Bob has no connection to that case. It's as if they are issuing an invitation to picket again. ;)
As we drove to Clearwater, we noticed that we were being tailed by a truck which had been following us from the hotel. A few switchbacks once we reached downtown, and we lost them, just for fun. Of course, they knew where we were going, but it must surely irritate them to have to work at tailing us.
We parked on the street next to the property slated for the Super Power (SP) building. There were agents scattered all over the area. We walked over to the sidewalk across the street from the Roach Motel, raised our signs, and started picketing. Shortly after we began, Garry Scarff showed up, and used one of our extra signs. My sign said "Introspection Rundown FORCED ISOLATION" on one side and "Did "Standard Tek" Kill Lisa?" on the other. Bob's said "Lisa's Blood on $cieno Hands", and Garry's said "Stop Hurting People, Scientology".
We spotted Ben Shaw hanging out at the entrance to the garage, and at one point, Brian Anderson and Pat Jones came over to talk to the TV crew. There was very little conversation between the $cientologists and us.
After a while, we crossed the street and picketed right in front of the hotel. We could see people in the lobby and in some of the other ground-level windows, but any $cn pedestrians who approached the hotel were routed around the side by an OSA agent stationed at the corner.
So that got old after a while, and we went down to Cleveland to picket the Clearwater bank building. We saw a Flag bus positioned at the side entrance, but pretty soon it had left without any passengers. The Sea Borg were being kept away from us, apparently.
The next stop was the Sandcastle. As in December, they seemed to be EXTREMELY concerned about the OT building, and had quite a few photographers and videographers out there. There were a number of people who saw us as they left the parking lot, and they looked like publics.
The last segment was back at the Ft. Harrison, where the TV crew talked to Garry for a bit, just before we all disbanded.
On the way back to Bob's hotel, we picked up a tail. I recognized the passenger as the pudgy, curly-haired videographer from the December picket, including Ybor City. We made turns, and had some fun with them, making it clear that we knew they were there, and they turned away.
The forecasts early this week had predicted thunderstorms, but thankfully it was just cold, windy, and extremely enturbulated.
It was an interesting, if uneventful picket, and something of an experiment. We were not served with restraining orders, and the $cienos went to great lengths to keep their membership from interacting with us. But today's demonstration was only a minor irritation compared to the entheta that will hit the newsstands tomorrow morning. ;) Mark Dallara
http://www2.kcii.com/users/dallara/
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Subject: Clearwater Picket on Scientology, 2/7/98
From: Garry Scarff (scarff@iag.net)
Pictures
On a cold & very windy day, I joined Bob Minton & Mark Dallara to picket the Ft. Harrison & other Scientology buildings. It was an interesting spectacle as Scientology officials reacted to our threatening picket by closing off the front entrance to the Ft. Harrison and re-routed their members to the north side entrance of the hotel giving the front the look of abandonment. FLAG security guards biked furiously around the area as several OSA staff filmed & photographed us three with roll after roll of film. At one point, OSA Director Brian Anderson stepped out from the front of the Fort Harrison with Patricia Jones, but observing Bob & Mark heading his direction, though on the opposite side of the street. Anderson quickly squirmed away back into the hotel.
After spending some time at the Fort H., the merry 3 walked down to the Cleveland Building, the Administration Building for Sciientology, accompanied by a German film crew. Noticeably, the building's lights were turned off giving an air it was closed (at 11:30AM?), but Mark observed a FLAG bus parked at the side of the building, so Mark & Bob opted to picket the side of the Cleveland Building. No sooner did we turn the corner to the alley than we observed the FLAG bus had quickly departed.
We walked down Ft. Harrison on the way to the Sandcastle and found very few people in the area. This quickly changed with the brave Scientology cameramen hiding in the bushes filming us, FLAG guards, the ever-present filming and snapshots, and a very perturbed Ben Shaw moaning in the safety & comfort of his car. Several Scientologists meandered off & off property taking the opportunity to read our signs but saying nothing, including an elderly lady whom I tried to engage in conversation, to only be met with a cold stare and fleeing back to the Sandcastle, where a wedding was taking place. It was apparent that we had garnered the attention of the bride & her wedding party.
In walking back to the Ft. Harrison, Bob decided to walk down Osceola past the Clearwater Library where I pointed out to Bob that Brian Anderson was standing near the corner of the Library. When I pointed and said "There's Brian Anderson", he quickly turned and squirmed away. When we got to the corner and looked down the sidewalk, we observed that Brian must have had run down the sidewalk very quickly to get away from us. I then suggested to Bob that we walk down Cleveland where shop owners could see our signs, on the way back to the Fort H. We continued to picket some more in front of the hotel where I encountered a very enturbulated Ben Shaw who remarked "So, how's your mother Garry?", an obvious reference to the mother that has disconnected from me because of my position on the Criminal Cult of Scientology.
Ending the picket, we drove in separate cars to the Biltmore Hotel to have lunch with the German television producer, accompanied by two surveillance cars and Ben Shaw. Later, P.I.'s were observed in the hotel parking lot filming our cars. Following lunch, we headed toward Bob's hotel on the Tampa end of the causeway, and again tailed by P.I.'s. I drove up next to Bob and told him I was going to split off in a different direction to see who the P.I.'s were going to follow. As Bob turned his car east, I continued north on Ft. Harrison observing the green car of Scientology P.I.'s following me, then whipping around the road into a gas station then slipping off to catch up to Bob's car. I drove slowly by the Ft. Harrison, honking my car horn and waving to the perturned security guards as I drove on and back to Bob's hotel.
Later, I met with the German producer and his film crew and taped an interview dealing with Scientology's appreciation for committing criminal acts and human rights violations. As the crew filmed me on a dock by the shore of Tampa Bay, a large waterspout (tornado) could be seen moving on the other end of the bay. I attributed the creation of the waterspout to the awful BT's I was emitting. Following the interview, I had a nice chat on the telephone with Keith Henson where we discussed picketing strategies for the upcoming LA & Hemet pickets next month and my thoughts of skydiving over Gold and landing inside the studios atop Miscavige's apartment.
Later, we welcomed the arrival of Jerry & Hana Whitfield and talked business and reactions to the days events, particularly noting the tremendous overreaction of Scientologists by just 3 picketers, and Bob receiving a blanket subpoena at his hotel for deposition in the Keith Henson TRO Hearing, before heading off to a very entertaining dinner, which provided the Mark & I the opportunity to discuss our differences and conclude on a friendly & amicable note. Mark assured me he is not homophobic, at which time Bob suggested we kiss & make up. Noticing the reaction on Mark's face, I told him he was cute, but I declined.
It was clear from today's events that Scientology is wearing thin of the public protests and is determined more than ever to run a strong PR campaign to try to overshadow the important criticisms against the cult, which is why it is so important to keep the pressure on the public & the media to keep people informed about the reckless & criminal conduct of this racketeering pariah called Scientology. Garry Scarff, The RinderBoy
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Subject: Picket Report, Mesa AZ, 1/31/98
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP)
NOTE: I now have a backup person with a camera and no sign, and I tape record all conversations during the picket.
We were at the org from 10-11 today. There were only 3 cars in the lot (and one motorcycle) when we arrived. About 1/2 hour after we started a woman and then a man arrived to handle us. It was classic "tech":
The woman wanted to know "if it was true that I wanted to bomb the church". I assured her that I support the right of anyone to believe in anything, all I wanted was for the Co$ to stop harassing critics, to stop endangering its members, and to stop making unsubstantiated claims about supposed benefits.
She at one point made the statement that just one life in a "meat body" would not be worth living. It's amazing how the sheer miracle of existence is not enough for some people.
The man was unbelievable. He started with, "do you remember when the psychiatrist hypnotized you and told you to do this?", segued over to the ubiquitous accusation "What crime did you do that you are hiding?", and ended up trying to use "eye rays" and Tone 40 "commands".
My partner and I almost lost it. How degraded can you be and not catch on? BTW, what does "Report!" mean? Some comm course or SeaOrg thing?
I am getting good vibes from my lawyer about the hearing on 2/27.
I just got a scanner, I will try to get legal papers onto the net in some form later this week. Bruce Pettycrew
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Subject: Picket report 29 jan 1998, Gothenburg, Sweden.
From: "Ake Wiman" (ake.wiman@swipnet.se)
Arrived outside $cio-org about 3 pm. Started to distribute a flyer about $cientology. On one side of the flyer: "Why do $cientology have the same religion as Hitler ?". A comparison between OT3 and deepfrozen ariens coming from heaven.
On the other side of the flyer: "A small extract from the cult of $cios criminal history". A list of $cio crimes in Sweden and other countries.
After a while two scios came out from the org for a smoke. One of them came to me for a talk. They were calm and I didn't have to call the police this time. He was talking about a picket the day before and seemed confused about this (so many pickets). I didn't know then about the picket the day before. But I had a hint :-).
Then the the person talking to me wasn't allowed to talk to me any more - a women came out and told him to come in.
The person talking to me indicated that he had seen my previous picket report from Gothenburg, 14 and 15 jan 1998). I don't know if he was "allowed" to read ARS or just had seen an excerp from ARS presented by the local OSA.
Many of the by-passers wished me luck when they saw the flyer against $cientology. Some of the by-passers seemed very reluctant to take a flyer. When I told them I'm NOT a scientologist they turned back and took a flyer and said 'Oh - I thought you were one of them'. Distributed over 100 flyers. Åke Wiman
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Subject: Gothenburg picket, 28 Jan 98
From: "Christer Lindstrom" (clind@carasoft.se)
Hi all. I just want to report a little picket at the Gothenburg org in Sweden. Went there about 2.45, stayed for an hour or so. Some Xemu-leaflet distribution, talk with a couple of scienos (one guy, two women), no bad vibrations this time.
One dark haired woman was very nice, but did not want her name or photo here. Will ask her out for dinner next time. :-)
They talked mainly about a new campaign beeing launched soon all over europe, and it would hit sweden soon. Ads over buses, trams etc. The guy was 100% convinced that the Co$ was expanding, and the black haired woman that Co$ was a warm, good and charitable organisation good for all mankind. I assume both of them to be far from even clear. Regards, Christer Lindstrom
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Subject: Picket Report, Mesa AZ 1/17/98
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP)
I have not been served with legal paper of any kind, yet. Jeff Jacobs joined me in my semi-regular picket today, making the attempted TRO result in an immediate doubling of the size of the pickets. We were on duty from about 10:00 to 11:00 AM.
I have called the scienos for their comment, but after progressing from "call later" to " that terminal is not here now" to two straight hangups, I have no plans to call again.
I will try to contact the filing attorney, but I may need to wait until after MLK day. [Martin Luther King Day]
Thanks for the mail and posts, I will keep you informed. BP
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Subject: San Jose picket, 18 Jan 98
From: hkhenson@netcom.com (Keith Henson)
Just a short note. Since me showing up at a scn org seem to result in a TRO being issued, I figured I would try for some more. (BTW wgert, when are they going to serve me for the cult compound near Hemet? It does not take effect till I get the paper.)
Anyway, I put in short pickets at both San Jose and Mt. View. San Jose had a fair number of people, Mt. View org didn't show much activity. But they definately knew they had been picketed. Now what? Keith Henson
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Subject: Picket report Gothenburg, Sweden
From: "Ake Wiman" ake.wiman@swipnet.se
Picket in Gothenburg, Sweden, january 14 and 15, 1998.
Arrived outside $cio-org in the evening. It was really hard to find them (their adress is Vaermlandsgatan 16). They have several rooms above a China-restaurant. No signs outside. Just a little tiny sign at the doorbell. Started to distribute 3 types of flyers about $cientology. Type 1 comparing Nazi religion with $cio religion, i.e. OT3. Type 2 - a list of $cio-crimes in Sweden and other countries. Type 3 about $cio-companies selling OCA-test (200 questions) without telling customers about the origin.
After about 5 minutes they had noticed my presence and first 3 and then 4 people came out and immediatly start to harass me (among them Anders Dysholm, master of harassment from OSA and Lars Stridbäck). They started to take away the flyers I had put under the windshield wipers on the cars nearby. I told them they were doing a criminal act - stealing my flyers from the car owners and they stopped. After some time they came up with the brilliant idea of putting $cio-propaganda under the other wiper on the cars. It looked really funny - my flyer *Why do Scientology have the same religion as the Nazis ?* and their paper (with my photo on the front side - telling how bad they think I am).
After 10 minutes of harassment I called the police on my cellular phone. The police arrived and told the $cio-people to stop harass me. Then I started to distribute my flyers to by-passers. $cio-personal started to run after the by-passers who took my flyer in order to give away the $cio-paper about me. After a while they started again to harass me again and I walked to a nearby police-station to get help. The police came and now the $cio-people had to identify themselves to the police. They were not anxious at all to take up their drivers licence to identify themselves to the police, but the police made them do it.
I made a formal report to the police about the $cio harassment this time. The $cios now were anxious to make a deal - let's forget this. I told them they should think before next time, not afterwards.
After that it was a bit calmer. I ditributed about 200 flyers.
At first the by-passers where not interested - I had to tell almost everybody that I was NOT a $cientologist. After I had told them that they smiled and took the flyer. Many of them said thank you - good luck. One young man first got the $cio-paper and then passed me. I asked him if he was interested in my flyer about the $cios and he asked - why ? Well, I said, you just took a $cio-paper from a $cientologist, so wouldn't you be interested to read the truth about them ? WHAT he screamed was that paper from THEM, and immediatly tossed the $cio-paper on the ground, took my flyer, smiled and walked away.
After some time abot 4 $cientologists came up to me. I explanined I'm willing to communicate without harassment from them. And they started to give me feed-back on my flyers (probably they didn't know what they were doing, I presume). My comparison (OT3 compared with Nazi-religion) they disliked most.
Next day I distributed the rest of my flyers. Not a single $cientolost in sight for about an hour. Then a $cio-women just had to confront me, talking about how wrong I did this wonderful organization which had helped her so much. I told her - good luck finding the truth - but I don't think you find it in $cio-world. The rest of the flyers i distributed outside a $cio-company in Gothenburg (Silhouet) Total amount of flyers distributed were about 300. Åke Wiman
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Subject: Picket Report: Mesa, AZ 1-1-98
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP)
So it's a new year. It's still Thursday at 2:00 PM and time to get those stats in.... I made sure the first day would include a picket. MY stats are perfect: 1 day in 1998, one picket.
There were only about 8 cars at the mission. I was there from 1:00 to 2:00 PM. I had two good converstations with passers-by and the usual number of honks and thumbs-up from drivers.
At about 1:30 I turned around on my picket-path to encounter a Sea Org member, a woman in her early fifties (or a 30 year old with lots of RPF time) coming back from lunch. I suggested that 1998 was NOT going to be a good year for the Co$. No reply.
As the days grow longer, I will be working the evening rush-hour crowd. Let's make 1998 the worst year since 1958 for the followers of Hubbard's madness.