Picket reports

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(two reports)
Subject: new picket tech; AZ picket 11/15/98
From: cultxpt@primenet.com
Message-ID: 72n7sj$dmg$1@nnrp02.primenet.com

The last 3 pickets I've been trying something out that Skippy suggested, which is to set up a free standing picket sign besides the one I carry. So I've been leaning my "Church of the Holy Lawsuit" sign against a city sign pole while I carry my Lisa sign. The COTHL sign would fall from the wind sometimes, so I put a little stick in the top of the sign and hung my backpack to the stick, so the backpack is behind the sign. This weight holds the sign in place. Of course, you could make a 2-sided sign with a hinge at the top and then have a free-standing sign, like I see many businesses have here.

The picket today was the quiestest I've ever been to. There were 6 cars at the church and I saw no one come, go, or even stick their head out the door. Their new sign is sorta bland imho. We got a few honks and thumbs up. Nice weather :)

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Subject: Picket Report, Arizona: Watching the Co$ Die, 15 Nov 1998
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP)
Message-ID: 72nl0o$g5t$1@nnrp02.primenet.com

We picketed from 10 to 11 AM today.
We gave out freshly printed leaflets about Lisa MacPherson.

The traffic was very supportive. The news about the indictments in Florida was given good exposure in the local media.

There were 6 cars in the culthouse parking lot:
Fastest shrinking religion in the world, and it is going to get smaller and smaller and smaller..........Gone!.

Welcome back to reality, ex Co$ members.
Now spend your money on education, therapy, and your children.
Life will be better.

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Subject: Picket Report Sacramento 11/19/98
From: Meklar@ix.netcom.com (Meklar)
Message-ID: Meklar-1911981527360001@sac-ca46-13.ix.netcom.com

Meklar and Elvis. ~30 minutes. 200% increase in flier distribution from previous leaflet campaign. (ie., we handed out 3 this time.) Many supportive thumbs up and honks. The org responded by taking polaroid photos. We saw one Sea Orger in full uniform, jacket with chain, and 2 chevrons on his sleeve going in.

We picketed from 1:30 till 2, just in time for Thursday stats!

Leaving, we were stopped by the guy at the smog check place across the street. He had been under the impression that Scientology[tm] was a Christian church of some sort. Not any more. He also mentioned in passing that 6 of the last 7 cars he'd checked for org staff had failed there smog checks. whoa. downstat emissions.

I don't think we were followed leaving, but we had a great time acting like we were. kEvin and Meklar.

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Subject: Picket Report, Mesa AZ, 11/23
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP)
Message-ID: 73d40m$lnp$1@nnrp02.primenet.com

I stopped by for an hour after work today.
There were 5 cars in the lot, 3 arrived and one left during the picket. Rush hour traffic was heavy. As usual, the positive response to the picket was 10 to 1 over the negative response.
Co$ has lost the PR battle. It has lost, period.

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Subject: Toronto Picket Report 98/11/25
From: wulfen@NOSPAMtotal.net (Wulfen)
Message-ID: 365cac28.76115145@news2.lightlink.com

Dedication:
I dedicate this picket to wgert, a Scientologist. He knows why.

Quick note:
I love living in Toronto. I can picket at a moment's notice. And the Scientologists are always so happy to see me. ;-)

Report:
Yes, cold weather doesn't deter the Toronto branch of the ARSCC. Myself and Android Cat did a half-hour quickie in the cold Canadian November. The signs were:
(Me:)
$cientology: BAIT AND SWITCH "Church"
http://WWW.XENU.NET
(Android Cat:)
$cientology: The Gerbil Wheel to Total Freedom
Staff members get a 10% commission on sales: Is this a church?

We also handed out a few leaflets.. Not that many, though. But don't worry, there's plenty more where those came from. :-)

Well, we showed up almost on the dot of 6:00 PM (again), and raised our signs.. Mario saw us, and zapped inside the Org, to make another "the SP's are here!" phone call or something. There were some other people on the sidewalk, too.. They were apparently Scientologists, because within 30 or 40 seconds, the previously populated sidewalk was empty. Why did all these Scientologists go inside? We didn't mind sharing the sidewalk..

Well, got a few smiles, and one wink. My sign seems to work, as far as getting peoples' attention. "BAIT AND SWITCH" really gets people thinking, it seems.

We also had a police presence! After maybe ten minutes, I noticed a police car parked up the side street right by the Org. The officers were watching us, I'm pretty sure. After a while they took off.. No interest in watching Android Cat and me walk up and down, I suppose.

I wonder if this counts as a false alarm by the cult?

Also, it obviously wasn't Word Clearing Time at the Hubbard Dianetics Foundation. As per last time we did this, Mario (HDF Missionholder) was body routing us by himself. He was going on about "religious prosecution". I was always under the assumption that Scientology's PR said it was "persecuted". Hmm.. Here's what an online dictionary (http://www.m-w.com/dictionary.htm) has to say about this:

Main Entry: per·se·cu·tion
Function: noun
Date: 14th century
1 - the act or practice of persecuting especially those who differ in origin, religion, or social outlook
2 - the condition of being persecuted, harassed, or annoyed

Main Entry: pros·e·cu·tion
Function: noun
Date: 1567
1 - the act or process of prosecuting; specifically : the institution and continuance of a criminal suit involving the process of pursuing formal charges against an offender to final judgment
2 - the party by whom criminal proceedings are instituted or conducted
3 obsolete : PURSUIT

Do some word-clearing next time, Mario. ;-)

There were also some cult kids in the lobby of the Scientology building. They came into the lobby, headed for the door, saw me with my sign, and then headed for the back door. Poor bloody kids.. I hope their mother is taking good note of the Lisa McPherson case. Think Scientology would notify the mother if either of them were on the Introspection Rundown? Not a chance..

Well, finally the picket was over, and we took off. Not a bad evening's enturbulation. :-) Until next time, cult.
http://www.total.net/~wulfen/scn

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Subject: FH Picket Report Dec 1, 1998
From: Catarina Pamnell
Message-ID: 36677788.661642@news.tiac.net

You ex'ers out there, remember all those times in Scientology when you were told to make a postulate about getting something that you wanted (or the Scientology salesman wanted you to want)? Deciding that, no matter what, your dream would come true? At one time, I made a big, fat, juicy postulate to go to Flag. And guess what - it worked!

I got to step off a plane into the velvety (euphemism for suffocatingly humid) subtropical Florida night. I got to ride in a large, environment-unfriendly, resource-wasting and beautifully comfortable American car. And as I finally walked up to the entrance of the Fort Harrison Hotel, arriving at the Mecca of Technical Perfection, they hurried to close the doors and cover the windows! :( My postulate must have been slightly off target. Those darn BTs, always getting in the way!

The third pre-picket picket of the FH featured Bob, Stacy, Jesse, Arnie, Karsten and myself. Sorry I didn't introduce myself, OSA, but that "what's your name"-routine is just about the best way to shut me up. A hot button, I guess. ;-)

This was my first experience of picketing U.S. style, which turned out to be quite different from our Scandinavian version. Back home, we are not required to walk back and forth while picketing. (Is this kind of picketing really just a clever conspiracy to get those software engineering types to get some exercise? I wonder...)

There was hardly any foot traffic in front of the FH, apart from a number of security guards and OSA handlers crawling out of the woodwork as we approached it just before the 6 p.m. dinner break (never saw those guys in "Source" magazine). The street has lots of car traffic though, and we got a few honks and thumbs-ups. Staffers were rushing to pull down blinds in front of the ground floor windows - swoosh, swoosh, swoosh - as we walked past carrying our picket signs. The outdoor restaurant area to the right was full of people getting ready to have dinner. But as we walked by, mean old Bob revealed what was on today's menu (BBQ BTs and cluster soup). Must have affected their appetite - when we came that way again a bit later, the place was totally empty.

We picketed for about 45 minutes. No incidents, but the Scientologists seemed pretty tense. Arne voiced one, in my opinion quite reasonable demand: that they bring out one OT. Not hundreds of them, not even a dozen, just one. After all, isn't that what they are supposed to be doing in there - turning ordinary humans into superbeings? One of the young handlers responded that the oatees were all over. Now that might be true, but they obviously were not at the FH. Six picketers outside, and they lock their doors and shield their windows. Some confront.

They did send some people out, though - to work in the construction area on the opposite sidewalk. The sight of a thin, young man, practically a kid, in a dirty white tshirt and black shorts, wielding a sledge hammer while under watch by uniformed guards... a sobering reminder of why we picket. Yeah, picketing can be lots of fun and games, but there are thousands of other things I could do for kicks (that probably would be safer as well). Still, when I see kids like that, or even the cocky young handler, all I know is that I would hate for them to end up like Lisa. And I hate to see other young people getting sucked into an organization that will exploit their bodies and souls. There's not much I can do about it, but at least I have to stand up and say "no, this is not acceptable!". Catarina
http://www.tiac.net/users/martyo/cw.htm -- More pictures

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Subject: Picket Report, Mesa AZ 12/02/98
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP)
Message-ID: 744jje$5ds$1@nnrp03.primenet.com

I had errands to run during lunch, and on my way I stopped at the Mesa culthouse and picketed from 11:10 to 11:45. It threatened to rain the whole time, but I finished before the downpour.

There were 3 cars in the lot, 2 belonging to staff.
Scientology is dying - good riddance.

The driving public hates the Co$. The world will never be cleared, culties: get out now and avoid the Mellenial rush.

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Subject: Picket report Copenhagen 5 dec 1998.
From: "Åke Wiman" ake.wiman@swipnet.se
Message-ID: 01be20c3$2b9be0a0$9636f482@default

About ten people from Denmark (and one from Sweden) with flyers. Weather snowing and temperature about 0 (C).
We started at 17.00 just around the corner from scio-HQ. It took some time before they were aware of us. Distributed about 500 flyers with the story about how Lisa died in scientology care. After having dinner we picketed just outside the "church".
Scio-people were mostly friendly. About 15 of them had to "handle" us.

And sadly they even used a group of children (age ca 10-13) to get our flyers. The children were obviusly instructed to ask for as many flyers as possible (and to their friends !) and then hand them over to OSA for destruction (I guess). Makes me sick to see these childrens used by OSA.
We got an on-line report from Clearwater via cellular phone during our picket.

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(two reports)
Subject: PICKET REPORT: ORANGE COUNTY ORG
From: cybermmule@earthlink.net (Alba Tross)
Message-ID: 366b5273.1575895@207.126.101.101

Well I decided to repost my picket report just to be sure it got out there.
on 12/5/98, Zinifar, Carl Conner, and myself picketed the Orange County org, which was as far as we can tell a virgin org.

We arrived at about 2:30. We only ended up staying about a half hour. Of course the length of the picket is not as important as the fact that we made the staff aware of our presense, while the org was packed with publics. The entire parking lot was full, no empty spaces that I could see....a good 45-50 cars. WIthin a minute or two of our arival, the staff started shutitng the blinds in every room, presumably to shield the publics inside from our presense.

ZInjifar had some very interesting observations about the org. The place is very low key, no neon signs, no big logo out front, no body routers, no flash at all. Just a very simply lettered sign out front identifying the place as the Church of Scientology. Pictures will be posted as sooon as we get the rest of the roll used and developed, hopefully first thing in the morning.

We did get someome to come out and take our picture., but that was the only kind of confrontation we received. The whole thing seemed a bit anti-clamactic,, or anti climactic, but the more i think about it the more I realize that we made our precnese felt very strongly there. I also discovered later from a former staff member of that particular org that the OC org is one of 10 largest orgs in the country. The low key appearance of the org belies that fact. I wonder if something very covert is going on there. Very puzzling indeed. Chris Walker

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Subject: Picket Report: Winding a Quartz Orange
From: zinjifar@inreach.com (Zinjifar)
Message-ID: Mspa2.30210$Pk4.14820129@news.inreach.com

Goony said it all.. We visited the Orange County org for its first time. And his. It's a corner location in a residential area. It's not noticeable at all. Even the sign is very low key especially considering that it's just down the coast from the very blatant Los Angeles chapter.
We as usual for pickets fell into the mad rush of getting our shit together. It didn't work.. as always happened we forgot half of what we'd had in mind. Luckilly.. it doesn't matter. Picketing isn't a logical enterprise; it's more catch as catch can. The ARSCC guidelines for picketing award lower point totals for conscious conspiracy.

Conner came over.. we piled our signs/flyers/tools into the car. Goony of course was a little nervous not having done a picket before. Conner was Conner.. mellow and methodical and interested. I was of course just me.

We drove over and hit the corner of Red Hill and Irvine.
My first impression was disappointment. The org for Orange County looks like some kind of residential duplex. Even the sign is very low key. It sits on a corner and if it were not for us looking for it and its sign I'd never have noticed it. No body routers.. no neon mind control UFO hatch. It looks like a suburban house.

We drove around the block and checked out the neighborhood. No bikeboys.. no lurking PI's. For some reason I got the impression they were'nt expecting us. :)

At the backside of the org we parked and began putting the signs together..
always watching for the usual watchers..
There were none. We walked around the corner and raised our signs and the edge of the building was next to us.. with a large plate glass window and two secretaries visible.
There is no foot traffic to speak of but a constant vehicle traffic.. The org is fairly amazing in being very stealth; it looks like a house. It isn't. It's as large as about half a block with an 'L' shaped parking lot seperating it from it's neighbors.
While scientology in general attempts to be high profile this wasn't. I didn't really realize how large it was till we'd walked the half block on its frontage and I decided to use the patented Teddy Mayett car count.

There were 45 cars at least in the parking lot. Which gives you some idea of how large the structure really is, and how many publics were present on this the anniversary of Lisa's death and raises some other questions.
Why were so many people there?
Why were so few OSA present?
Why do I say that?

Our only contact with any scientologists directly was a single (good looking and not shy) guy who came out to take our pictures. Otherwise the only noticeable reaction was that suddenly blinds got closed (on full classrooms - what were these at least 45 publics doing there?).
The secretaries in the Red Hill office were both on the phone next time around.. and a dark haired guy was standing in the room. By the next pass the office had 5 people; 3 on the phone but all other windows in the building had the blinds closed.

At this point our photoboy came around and had the simple human decency to have batteries in his camera (if not film) so that it flashed a red light to warn us of impending capture of our souls. Ooooooh! :)

When I asked him to let me take his picture too he posed nicely and gave us a very nice grin. There may be hope for him yet.

Of course the object of a picket is variable. Sometimes it's for the benefit of the publics and staff at the org. Sometimes it's for the benefit of passersby. This time it was probably more an aggressive recoinnasance. I can't speak for Conner or Goony.. but I wanted to let them know we knew they were there and that we might well come visit them.

Our photoboy went into the building as Goony asked him 'Now you can find out who we are eh?' and he answered 'That won't be any problem'.

It was a *very* non-confront and nothing happened picket. Despite that I'm still a little blown away by it. Why were so many publics there? Is this normal?

Leaving we were piling our signs back in the car when the backyard neighbor came out with her baby to pick up the mail. Despite her proximity she at least claimed to have no knowledge at all of the whacko UFO cult next to her. Either she is exactly what she seems and they are being very very (ie no body routers etc.) cool, or she was a very good OSA op. I tend to think for some reason (could it be Heaven's Gate?) they are keeping an extremely low profile in Orange County.

We stopped at a Denny's afterwards and had some nice conversations with the denizens and I left a Xenu flyer in their menu stand. You never know..
A *very* interesting org. Zinj

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(multiple reports)
Subject: San Francisco, Picket Report, Saturday December 5, 1998
From: realpch@aol.com (Realpch)
Message-ID: 19981206021308.12486.00001929@ng-fa2.aol.com

It was cold, windy and rainy, but it was a pretty good day for a picket in remembrance of Lisa McPherson at the San Francisco Scientology Org.

We had a pretty big turnout. Jour had announced that she would be there from 10 until 5, so folks had a good opportunity to fit picketing into their busy schedules. 12 showed up in all. There were Jour, Tani, myself, CIA1, phr, Podkayne, Meklar, MadWog and friend, BobWog, Kirsten, and Mike de Wolfe. Jour brought day-glo sandwich boards, and I had an extra sign (having finally made a new one), so everyone was well equipped to inform the general public.

The stress test table was out when I got there at one, manned by a young fellow, who seemed relatively unenthusiastic about the task. Who could blame him? It was cold.

I got aggressively handled this time, perhaps because when the handler presented himself to me, I told him I didn't want to talk to him and I didn't want a handler. He went into full tape mode, repeating over and over any taunting, annoying thing he could think of. I tell you, it was fully on a par with an endlessly barking dog or a boom box car! I told Tani I was getting really angry, and he engaged the handler, even though he had a sore throat. Mr. Irritating must have talked to him non-stop for an hour. Which left me free to do what I do best, picket sign tech.

For quite awhile, I used both of my signs. It can be hard to get people to read a picket sign, or even to look at you while driving by. A woman holding up two large signs is harder to ignore. I noticed quite a bit of acknowlegment from passing motorists this time. And I even got a double decker tour bus! Some people seem to be really good at talking to the handlers, but I'm not one of them. Jour and Tani and CIA1 have shown themselves to be remarkably patient when dealing with the Scientologist who walks the picket with them. I noticed that Jour's handler, never once seemed to stop or come up for air. He chattered on about anything, or everything, rather than allow there to be a moment of silence. Since I don't think that much penetrates the handlers' fixed opinions, I can only conclude that the tactic is to divert attention from contacting the public.

Once again, my performance at passing out leaflets gets a flunk. But CIA1 was up there with Jour at getting people to accept them. He said to people, "they tied this woman to a bed for seventeen days and she died." They took the leaflets!

One amusing moment was when a couple came up and asked me if I was Jour. It seemed they read ars, and were fans of hers! Quite a few other interested parties also showed up. I think it was around four when a big crowd of Scientologists showed up to hang around outside the org. They didn't do too much in the way of interaction, I think they were there to reassure themselves that they were still in control of the Mest Universe.

Perhaps they were. It rained a fair amount, and the candlelight vigil event was somewhat dampened, as the candles would not stay lit! But I thought the public was amused by the pack of loonies out there picketing Scientology in the rain. Whatever it takes to get them to read the signs...

On a fashion note: I dressed warmly and sensibly in wool knit pants, a turtleneck sweater, a cardigan sweater, and a wool riding jacket. And an umbrella of course. Tho the next time I picket in the rain, I think I'll just paint the slogans on the umbrella.

It was a wet picket, but a good picket. Seasons best to all of you out there, Scientologists, Ex-Scientologists, Scientology Critics, and those who don't care one way or another! Life is short, make it count.

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Subject: preliminary picket report, SF 12/5/98
From: humanrights@racerrecords.com (Kristi Wachter)

A total of 13 picketers picketed in San Francisco today from 10:20 am until 7:40 pm, with two beverage breaks and a dinner break. Handlers included Bill Crawford and Mark, with Jeff Quiros on camera duty.

LOTS of fliers given out. Extensive handler conversations held. Excellent Thai food eaten.
A brief post-dinner picket in the dark (but lit by nice bright streetlights) and rain (mostly drizzly) accomplished our own version of blue tarps - the org turned all the lights off, including the lobby!

No revenge picket reported at my home.
(This link for full report)

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Subject: Another SF Picket report, 5 Dec 1998
From: mikdwolf@rpf.org (Mike de Wolf)

After a couple of years hiding behind the pseudonym "Mike de Wolf" I finally went out to show my face to the a.r.s community. While I've posted messages here from time to time, I kept relatively hidden due to certain family members who are "public" Scientologists. "Public Scientologists" are people with more or less regular lives and careers, not Sea Org or staff. They usually know little or nothing about the more grievous acts committed by the church on its inner members, the Sea Org and other staff. It is the public Scientologists who finance the whole operation, turning over a large part of their incomes and often going into dept in showing misguided support to create a more same planet.

In the past we've had some heated discussions over Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners over what the true aims of Scientology might be, so for the past few years we just don't bring the subject up. Everyone is happier that way. Most of the family are not Scientologists, and they prefer not to discuss it anyway.

Maybe I'd be happier to if I just blissfully went through life looking the other way, but I continue to be drawn to a.r.s. from time to time. I continue to see great hypocrisy every time I look at the church's activities, and even if I didn't read a.r.s. I would continue to see it in the media, in my community, and on the coffee table when I visit family. I can't stay away completely.

I arrived at the San Francisco Org this past Saturday on a cold rainy afternoon. The picketers there asked if I would like some information, and I was handed a flier describing the sad story of Lisa McPherson. A woman I later learned was Kristi told me how the Church had kept her confined against her will, practiced medicine without a license, and the poor woman had died as a result.

"Yes, she was PTS type three, placed a quiet place to protect her from re-stimulation," I replied with all the Scio-speak I could think of at the moment.

I found myself with three sets of wide-open eyes looking at me. "So you have some familiarity with Scientology already?" one of them said.

Yes, I replied, and introduced myself as Mike de Wolf from alt.religion.scientology.
In the next few minutes I was outfitted with a sandwich sign reading "SCIENTOLOGY LIE$" on one side and "SCIENTOLOGY ATTACKS RELIGIOUS FREEDOM" on the other. I asked Kristi if people from inside the Org were talking, and yes some had. In fact, one of my reasons for coming was to ask some of the tough questions that can cause unhappy fights at home.

I soon got my wish. One of the handlers from the Org, Mark, was happy to latch on to me. (Picketer CIA1 was equally happy to get rid of him.) Mark had excellent T.R's. (Scio-slang for good communications skills - refers to Training Routines 1-4 that are taught to entry-level Scientologists). He let me know very clearly that he considered my signs harassment. I replied that if the signs weren't true, we wouldn't be here.

Mark was really good. He has been a Scientologists for many years and is unshakable in his beliefs. Mark is a good example of de Wolf's Law:
"If you live in a totalitarian society where the way you are supposed to think and act is exactly how you are inclined to think and act, you will not recognize it as a totalitarian society. You will feel free."

Scientology feels like a paradise to those members who have had their thinking and world view completely aligned with the Scientology ideal. That is the "sanity" they want to bring to everyone else.

Like other Scientologists of whom I have asked Tough Questions, Mark admitted that he has seen some of the same outness and weirdness that I had seen. For example, there was a time period about 20 years ago when every idiot was attesting to be Clear - Mark even told me about someone who claimed to go clear during a Linda Ronstadt concert! But Mark saw every shortcoming as a failure of people to correctly apply the tech - it can never be a failure of the tech. That was Mark's Scieno-molded reality.

What Mark could not answer is the Tough Question that no Scientologist has given a satisfactory answer to: What are the results attainable to Scientology that can be attained only through Scientology?

"Yes," I conceded. "Some people quit their drug habits through Scientology. Others improve their communication skills, and others resolve long-standing emotional issues through auditing. But other people also attain these results through means other than Scientology. WHAT ARE THE GAINS THAT ARE ATTAINABLE THROUGH SCIENTOLOGY ONLY?"

The best Mark could come up with was that when he went clear he felt that something was gone. He could offer nothing measurable, quantifiable, or identifiable as being unavailable through other means.

This discussion ended when the group went across the street for a break. I was also curious about the motivations of those who take the time and trouble to go out in the rain and picket this weird church. I leaned that people come out for all sorts of reasons. A few of us were former members, some were not. Some like the "cat & mouse" game with OSA, and others have strong feelings about freedom of speech on the Internet and the First Amendment in general.

After a coffee break, we went out into the rain for the candlelight tribute to Lisa McPherson, Rodney Rimando and others who died as a result of Scientology's bungled attempt to help those who seriously need help.

Once we were thoroughly soaked, it was time to move across the street to share Thai food and more experiences and perspectives.

Although I enjoyed the company of the fellow picketers very much, I was disappointed that I have no gauge of the effect we were having. There never seems to be much "public" walking in and out if this org, and most of the passersby are not the middle class that is the Church's target market. A lot of cars and busses drive by, but it is difficult to get much feedback from moving vehicles, especially at night. If I picket again, it will probably be at an org located in a more middle-class area, or perhaps at one of the Hollywood Boulevard locations that get a lot of tourist foot traffic. Mike de Wolf