Picket reports

=====
[includes multiple reports]
Subject: My First Picket Report: 8/13/98, Boston, Massachusetts
From: scully3428@aol.com (Scully3428)

Who Was There: myself (Lori Ann Chauvette), Bob Minton, Hilary Osborne, Dean, DK, Ron Newman (around 6pm)
Time of Picket: 5pm - 6:30pm

What Happened: a LOT.....but first, we met (sans Bob and Ron) at a local restaurant, then headed out to the org on Beacon Street. We made a joke about someone not listening to the messages and meeting us at the org, but then someone recognized the mysterious person as BOB! So naturally, I was thrilled. This guy who we had affectionately called "The Italian Stallion" was all up in his face shouting at him while he held up two signs. So by the time we got there, they were all up in our face, also. I had brought a male friend with me who wasn't going to picket but was going to take pictures, but he had gone off when he saw the blonde woman with the videocamera....he didn't want his picture taken (only I would bring a date to a picket :-) ). Bob called the police at some point while they were shouting in his face. Six cops came by to see what the ruckus was! They started talking to Bob and The Stallion about it, and after that ruckus died down I talked with the cop briefly about whether I should have called them before I did this. They said next time I should do that....oops. :-) I then gave the cop my name and address and "who we were"....I really didn't know how to answer that other than we were people from the Internet who were picketing, and so I told the cop we were ARSCC. ;-) I had to get used to the strategies they were using to try to get us to go away....like I stated in the header, this was my first picket ever, and someone had told me that the Boston org is usually pretty quiet during pickets....they weren't this time because of the fact that Bob showed up. So I had this one woman in my face at some point trying to get me to go away, but obviously I wouldn't budge from there. What was even funnier was the fact that they had counter picketers holding up signs like "Save the Whales" and "God Bless The USA" -- real cornball stuff. One of the best lines was from DK, who, after being asked by one Sceino, "Don't you want to save the environment?" replied. "Of course I do. And I'm doing that by getting you out of here!" (please excuse me if that's a paraphrase).
Around 5:30 they gave up on us and went back in, so things were pretty quiet for awhile. Then Ron showed up, and he asked me about the signs. My date had taken them with him, so I had to go get them from him. While I was gone during that period apparantly the Sceinos were out again for about ten minutes holding up signs degrading the critics that they knew the names to (I didn't give my name to any of them, but I had thought about giving them the name "Dana Scully"....that would have been funny -- criticizing a TV character :-) ). Woman was recording us the whole time, and apparantly there was possibly a few OSA operatives behind the van across the street.
Overall, a great start to a future picketing career. :-)

On a more personal note: for me, it was a thrill to get to meet the other critics in my area, especially Bob Minton. Just talking to him he furthered my resolve to continue fighting the fight. I don't know when I'll do it next (although I made a joke about doing it every week just for the exercise :-) ), but it'll probably start a little earlier on a Thursday because I start choir rehearsals in a couple of weeks on Thursdays.

Subject: Re: My First Picket Report: 8/13/98, Boston, Massachusetts
From: rnewman@thecia.net (Ron Newman)

> holding up signs degrading the critics that they knew the names to.

One of them said something like "Ron Newman and Alfred E. Neuman - Separated at Birth?", with a picture of Alfred. Since I never announced that I was going to picket, and showed up late, I'm not sure how they managed to have that sign waiting for me.
Ron Newman rnewman@thecia.net
(http://www2.thecia.net/users/rnewman/)

-----
Subject: My First Picket, Boston MA 8/13/98
From: DWPierce01@aol.com

It certainly was a pleasure to Picket with the group for such a worthy cause and I'm looking forward to our next one. It was good that Ron showed up or they would have wasted the sign they had ready for him. I hope they have one ready for me the next time. DW Pierce

-----
Subject: Picket Report: Boston, MA 8/13
From: dodo@world.std.com (Dean ODonnell)

OVERLONG NARRATIVE:
It was a fine evening for a picket, the sun was shining, there was a nice breeze, and the Red Sox were playing in Fenway Park.

The first four SP's met at a cafe on Newbury, I showed up with a pile of Xemu flyers straight from Operation Clambake. Lori had brought a picket sign and art materials for more, but I eschewed a sign in favor of better Flyer Tech (tm). Hillary was to be my partner in flyering, and DW had another sign. This was Lori's first picket, so, being a veteran of two earlier pickets in Boston, I sagely intoned, "Don't expect high drama, the Boston Org is usually pretty quiet. They'll take our pictures but that's about it."

On approaching the org, I was immediately proven wrong, as high drama was already in progress. Bob had gone straight to the org and had started picketing about five minutes before we got there. He was surrounded by scienos, who were yelling at him. With a cry of "SP's to the rescue!" we crossed the street and begain our picket. Actually I got caught by the light change and had to wait on the other side of the street until traffic passed, but took the opportunity to address the small crowd that had gathered to see what the commotion was. I handed out flyers and got the thumbs up from the locals before joining in on the other side of the street.

When I got there Bob was already on the phone with the police. He had two handlers, the Italian Stallion and a tall woman who at a previous picket was wearing a cast on her arm (glad to see the arm healed up nicely, BTW). The scieno counter picketers had signs that said, "Have Good Manners," "God Bless America," and "Save the Whales." Since I'm for all those things, I smiled and welcomed them to our picket. Bob's handlers kept shouting at him, and he shouted back. I didn't catch the full conversation, but heard Bob mention something about Miscaviage taking it up the butt on a daily basis. (As Seinfeld says, Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

We kept moving in our picket line, and soon we had four cruisers and six police officers there. Bob, Lori, and the scienos talked to them, I kept out of it, pleasantly handing out flyers, and scanning for people who weren't willing to walk through the picket. I got some to the neighbors who had gathered, and one pleasant older man took the Xemu flyer, had a glance and responded with, "Oh, that Xemu horseshit."

I offered the officers flyers, and while most turned them down, one did take them, pocketing them for later reading. After much discussion among the police, two officers were left on the sidewalk with us, one went up on the porch with the scienos, and one lurked around the corner where they ended up moving the cruisers.

By this time I had gotten my own, personal handler. The woman carrying the "Have Good Manners" sign attached herself to me and started asking me why I was doing this and who was paying me. I responded with, "Oooh! Are you my handler?" She came back innocently, "Handling? What's that? What's this about handling?" Then she returned to the bigotry stuff and I replied, "I asked you a question and you didn't answer it. Isn't that non-confront? Wouldn't that be a FLUNK?" She faded away after that.

A bit later the Italian Stallion attached himself to me telling me how bad I looked, that I looked like death warmed over, that I was ugly, etc. I responded with "Cool! Is this bullbaiting?" He just kept on with how ugly I was, encouraging the other scienos to agree and laugh at me. I again pointed out that he was in non-confront and he faded away.

ON FLYER TECH
I had two flyers to hand out, the aforementioned Xemu flyer and another entitled "Boston: Nice Town... Shame about the CULT." The Xemu flyers were printed on blue paper and the Boston... flyers on yellow. I'd put them together, and when a passerby came near (or I saw one milling), I'd say, "Hi! Want a flyer? They're blue and they're free!" This always got a smile because the flyers obviously _were_ blue (I kept the Xemu on top, mostly because it's in bigger print, has a funny space alien picture and doesn't look nearly as daunting as the Boston... flyer).

The whimsical way I did this put passersby at their ease, since if I was silly enough to point out the obvious I couldn't be too focussed on whatever I was protesting. It also got two strangers to agree about something in the shortest amount of time. Since we agreed about the color of the flyer, and since free is never bad, why not take one? I find this to be good Flyer Tech.

My fellow SPs got on my case for not giving the yellow flyer equal time, but the extra syllable threw off my timing, and holding out a densely text-covered flyer seemed a tad intimidating. Call me a diva, but I stuck with my act despite criticism.

Hillary had gone over to the other side of the street, since with the yelling on our side, many people were crossing to avoid us. This was also good Flyer Tech, and she did quite well over there.

A NEW TACTIC AND A NEW ARRIVAL
Once the police had taken up their positions and the shouting seemed to be getting the scienos nowhere, the Italian Stallion ordered everyone inside. Ah! The quiet after the storm. It was during this point I got my favorite ack of the evening, after my usual offer of the flyers one attractive young woman replied with, "No thanks, I don't need them, I'm German."
Our paymasters _were_ checking up on us, y'see?
At around this time, Ron Newman showed up, and was greeted with cries of "Ron!" that would've made Norm over at Cheers jealous. He took up Lori's sign for awhile as she went to check on her date. Once she came back, Ron took to the sign making materials like the perfectionist he is, and after much drawing, taping, and tacking (compared to carving the darn thing in stone) emerged with a Lisa/xenu.net sign and resumed the picket.

Since Bob was carrying two signs, I offered to take one of his, which he gladly handed over. This made the Flyer Tech a bit of a balancing act, since I now had a sign, a pile of flyers, and the "loaded" double flyer ready for the next passerby. Any slight breeze and I bonked myself on the head. Ah well, the sacrifices we make...

Since things were relatively quiet, and the remaining officers seemed to be having a good enough time, I took this opportunity to smile at one and say, "The First Amendment in action." He smiled and replied, "It's a beautiful thing." About this time the scienos emerged with a new tactic. Their PR guy came loaded with flyers targetted at individual picketters, including the "Bob Minton is an organizer of KKK type rallies" one that we're already familiar with. Ron got two (count 'em, TWO) signs dedicated to comparing him to Alfred E. Neuman. They even had pictures of good ole Alfred E. on the signs.

Say, isn't Alfred E. Neuman a trademark of MAD Magazine? And since DC Comics owns MAD, and comics companies are known to be _very_ picky about who uses their characters, could this be a case of (gasp!) COPYRIGHT TERRORISM? I've actually heard those big comics corporations are somewhat litigation prone. Better watch your back, Scientology.

My "Good Manners" lady came back with the same, "Who are you?" line. This time I told her that I'd been doing this since 1995 (okay, I was wrong, I didn't go to my first picket until September, 1996, but I've been reading ars ever since the infamous rmgroup) and that they should have plenty of pictures of me in the org from previous pickets, maybe she could look me up. She said she had missed the pictures of me, but she'd check on that. Just goes to show they don't know who I am, since I didn't get a personalized flyer either. (sigh) Ah well, I take solace in the fact that I got on the clam nanny list.

Around this time, as I was handing a man flyers, he pointed out that I had spelled hatred wrong on my sign. The sign actually says, "SCIENTOLOGY IS NOTHING BUT HATERED MASQUERADING AS LOVE." When I pointed this out to Bob (since he had made the sign), he immediately denied any connection to the sign (like the lying SP that he is (gr)). When he finally copped to spelling it wrong, I pointed out that Scientology could help him with that. So I ended up walking around with a misspelt picket sign!

We decided to end the picket at 6:30 and call it a night. Once we lowered our signs and started gathering our materials, we had a brief conference with the police. Lori promised to warn them next time, and they seemed to take the whole thing in good spirits.

One officer who had previously refused a flyer came up to me, and now that we were done, said, "I'll take one of those now." I guess he didn't have to be impartial anymore. As he took it, he asked, "These people don't believe in regular medicine?" I briefly outlined Scientology's early problems with the FDA and the e-meter, and how they make no actual public promises of healing medical conditions, but that things like the touch assist and NOTs 34 still exist. He thanked me for the information and bid us all a good day.

As we walked away, we got a round of applause from the org. Usually we applaud back, but I have to admit, this time I was feeling a bit surly towards them. Across the street, we handed out some more flyers, and walked to the cafe for dinner. On the way we stopped to offload the picket signs, and though Bob offered to take the misspelled sign off my hands, I elected to retain the evidence.

Dinner, discussion, and good ole SPness followed. A good picket was had by all. Dean

-----
Subject: Re: Picket Report: Boston, MA 8/13
From: bob@minton.org (Bob Minton)

[snip]
By the way, the scienos gave out the old flyers on Beacon Hill last night around 9:00PM.

I would like to thank Maureen O'Keefe, DSA (Director of Special Affairs) at the Boston Org and Gerard "the criminal tresspasser" Renna (aka The Italian Stallion)(ex-GO who routed out to avoid being constantly butt-fucked by DM) for the lively welcome. I think Boston pickets will be more frequent now that we know your buttons a little better.

=====
Subject: Picket Report, Mesa AZ, 8/15/98
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP)

We hit the street at 9:45 AM for an hour.
The response of the traffic is really getting tremendous, much more support and awareness. Awareness of Scientology is growing, Scientology is doomed.

There was a "Rescue Rooter" toilet truck parked behind the building during the picket. I could have warned them it would be a very long job to "Clear" the site, they have been flinging it for so long....

=====
Subject: Picket/counter picket
From: hkhenson@netcom.com (Keith Henson)

I am really busy this weekend, but not wanting to disapoint the clams, I put in a ten minute picket at the local mission two blocks from my house.

Sure enough, as promised, they picketed my place shortly after noon. Got some photos and video tape of them picketing.

Ahhh, the feeling of being at cause! I am going to have to put in a ten minute picket *every day*. Keith Henson

=====
Subject: Dallas Picket Report 18?? Aug 1998
Arrived Sat Morning at 8:30. Break for lunch and finish at 4:00.
People are beginning to stop and talk out of familiarity, having seen me for the past four weeks. They are wishing me well and many are thanking me for standing up to the church. People are familiar with Scientology duplicity from the news media. Two cokes from well-wishers today. I still got more shouts and thumbs up this week.

Sunday: Feet were too sore to get out early. I started after 2:00 stayed until 4:00.

A man from New York "Thanked" me for picketing the church. He was once in New York City Org. When he left, Scientogists threatened to kill him. He sounded timid and reticent to hang around. I remember being there. A student on course break walked over so she could read my sign.

Short day. Not much more to report.
People are beginning to wave more enthustically. I'm becoming a recognized event. The good thing is, all this enthusiasm is happening in front of the Scientologists. David Alexander

=====
[NOTE by archiver. I have taken the liberty of snipping and arranging these reports by Keith Henson for 8/17 - 8/24]
Subject: San Jose Picket 8/17/98
From: hkhenson@netcom.com (Keith Henson)

Two of us, one hour 5:00-6:00, 30 cars, maybe ten in and ten out during that time Eye contact or at least getting the finger from most of the scns who went in or out. Enthusiastic support from those who drove by. No counter picket yet, maybe in the morning. Keith Henson

-----
Subject: San Jose picket report 8/18/98
After finding out the scns picketed my house again, along with a bunch of cops to observe it, I could not let such an opportunity go to waste. They have to picket my house again tomorrow because I picketed the mission at Winchester and Heading from 7:45 to 7:55. BTW, posted hours there are 7pm to 10pm weekdays and 10am to 5pm Sat. Today there were three people I could see through the front door (including some interesting 2D action :-) ) and one car out front with a scientology snake symbol on it.

I have way too much to do, but with *this* kind of response, I am going to make an effort to picket them *every day.* With luck, we can manage some nice newspaper coverage. Keith Henson

-----
Subject: Re: San Jose picket report 8/19/98
8/19/98 Morning, ten minutes, Palo Alto mission. Had to post because I didn't see anyone there, and I want wgert and his pig to know I am two pickets up on them. If I can manage to find the time, I am going to picket the San Jose org on Rosemary around 5 pm this evening, and be *three* pickets ahead. Keith Henson

Rosemary location, 4:30-5:10 (extended due to my OT 5 John showing up) 35 cars, about ten in/out during this time. Most are now acking my waves, one xenu flyer to a curious black member who said he been in for two years.

About 20 minutes into my picket my OT 5 drove in and walked with me the rest of the time. I had a hot-off-the-web-site signed Jesse Prince affidavit with me from which I read to him and he read some of the juicier parts.

Poor John! He agrees with me that my intense additional picketing is due entirely to their responding so nicely to me, but (obviously) he can't do anything about it, and (implied) management is too dim to figure this out. However he is going to be gone for several days, making it someone else's problem. We joked about me being three pickets up on them, and he claimed not to know if they were going to picket my house today. Gave John some tips on better sign tech. You have to get within 5 feet of their signs to read them.

I have a few more bits about John, if someone wants to put a last name on him. Drives a small white pickup (have the license number if someone wants it). He has been on staff, but not currently. Has a censored computer at home but an uncensored one at work. His ambition is to go into the SO eventually. I commented he should join while there still *is* a SO, and mentioned the data I got from the lawsuit about the massive fall in the GI.

5:10 I split for home through the (usual) dense commute traffic. I was hoping they would be there, and yep, at 6:01pm when I rounded the corner I had *3*, count them, *3* clams with picket signs. I parked, jumped out and with a big grin was ready to join them with my price-for-the-bridge and xenu.net sign. As I went over with a friendly wave holding my picket sign I ran into some real hostility from a white shirt & tie, thin, balding dude with glasses who insisted I had no right to smile at him because I was not his friend and should shut my ugly face. Well! I told him to hold the thought and speak it into my camcorder. Unfortunately by the time I picked the camcorder up and got back outside they were out of sight (sorry Ted). I am going to have to start carrying a camera with me so I can get shots of them when I arrive.

Hostility like this has to be coming from on high. The locals have always been fairly friendly (all things considered).
Well, I am still up two on them. That makes four pickets at my house by one, two, two and three picketers. Tomorrow is another day. :-) Keith Henson

PS, I have been worried about Darlene and Robin because it has been months since I have seen them. John indicated that they were holed up inside. I wonder if they have been given orders not to speak to me?

-----
Subject: Re: San Jose picket report 8/20/98
I put in about ten minutes this morning at the Palo Alto mission right around the corner from my place. No in or out traffic at all. Not wishing them to have missed me, I put my sign down, walked up and let the lone guy in there (with a kid) know they had been picketed. He thanked me and I split.

San Jose 12:45-1:10 (after spending some time in the Federal building-- grin) 34 cars, not much in or out traffic. For variety I carried my Lisa McPherson sign today.

Counter picket expected (if they hold to pattern) this evening 5-6 pm at my house, 302 College Ave (at Birch). College is two streets toward SF from California Ave, and about two blocks toward the bay from El Camino if anyone wants to drop by and watch. I am now up 4 pickets on them for the week. Keith Henson

-----
Subject: San Jose picket report 8/22/98
No picket yesterday, I took the day off and did some arc welding.
9:10-10:40, extended half an hour due to ARC. 20 cars when I got there, 33 when I left.

Other than one East Indian looking guy who said this was his third time there and he was not very happy with what they told him (he took a Xenu flyer) it was an uneventful picket until they sent out "Bob" with the accusations of child molestation made against me in a divorce in 1982.

Bob turned out to have a biology and computer background. Little bit of a rocky start, but it did not take long before we hit it off fine with the conversation ranging over computer viruses, the scienositter censor program (he does not have one) Lisa McPherson, the introspection rundown, NOTs 34, the millions spent on legal cases, the Wall Street Journal coverage, memetics, evolutionary psychology, the relation of scientology to other cults, operating system "spirits," space exploration, nanotechnology, and the expansion of human civilization into space. Won't say I changed his mind, but I sure gave him with a lot to think about.

Bob left with a few URLs to check out. No last name, but he has been in long enough to know Lawrence Wollersheim from the CC in LA. Lives in Los Altos. Unless they cut Bob's fingers off (a joke), I think we will see him here on the net.

On the way back, 11:00 to 11:10 I picketed the Mt. View org. Few cars, looked nearly inactive.

No counter pickets since Wed. I am up six on them at this point. Keith Henson

PS, Someone (OSA most likely) pretended to be calling from a credit union called one of my clients for whom I occasionally do consulting work trying to get details on my "employment." Not a good idea. You never know who has ANI.

[snip]
It did indeed. Last week was really busy. They picketed me Monday, Tue. and Wed. I picketed them Monday (1), Tue (2) Wed (2), Thur (2) and Sat (2) leaving me up 6 pickets by the end of the week.

-----
Subject: Palo Alto Pickets 8/23/98
Just when I thought they had given up, the clams came back. About noon today two of them came by for a short (ten minutes) picket. I was helping a friend of mine with some carpentry which we had out on the sidewalk. They managed to be obnoxious enough to him, keeping him from using a power saw by crowding in too close that he called the cops. By the time the cops got here the clams were long split.

I noticed they have not taken my advice about how to do decent picket signs, you cannot read their signs from more then about 5 feet away.

Not wanting them to get ahead, I put in a ten minute picket late in the afternoon at the Palo Alto mission. I was going to go back to once or twice a week, but if they are going to respond, heh, heh, I will try to get in a picket or two every single day. Keith Henson

-----
Subject: San Jose picket 8/24/98
20 minutes, 4:50-5:10 pm. 25 cars, the least I can remember seeing on a Monday at this time. Little in or out traffic, no interactions with the scns.

I did cost them a couple I think. Black couple in a nice car drove up as I was leaving. The stopped a long time at the corner reading both sides of my sign, then nodded and drove away.

No counter picket this evening, at least not any I saw. I am now up seven pickets on them. Keith Henson

=====
Subject: Picket Report, Mesa AZ 8/22/98
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP)

We picketed from 2:00 to 3:00 today. A breeze helped cool us off, but my sign was hard to control. The walking and struggling with the sign resulted in a great full-body workout... just one of the many rewards of picketing.... try it today!

There were 8 cars in the lot and one arrived during the picket.
One woman came out to ask me to leave. I declined.
Traffic was lighter than other times, but even at that I estimate over 2000 cars passed during the hour. University is a very high traffic boulevard. I got over a dozen honks, and 7-8 thumbs up. I saw no negative reactions today.

One car stopped in the driveway, and the woman driving it asked about my sign. While I was telling her my reasons for picketing, Leslie Dohrman, the resident OSA maven, came out to tell me to keep walking. It is nice to know that while I am relating to the traffic, someone inside the org is keeping close tabs on me. Handle me more, it feels good!