Picket reports

StukaFox
Taniwha
Conner
Matt O.

=======================

=====
Subject: Sat. Suprise SF Picket
From: taniwha@taniwha.com
Date: Sun, 14 Dec 1997 00:41:16 -0600

Today 7 intrepid souls decided to forgo Xmas shopping and picket the San Francisco Org (Elvis had previously nixed my wonderfull plan to do an annonymous all-santa picket).

Elvis, pbxtalk, Conner (#3), Shelley, ermine and stukafox all showed - a great turnout for something organized quickly on the sly.

Frankly it was boring - the local org gave us almost no reaction the usual cameras, a couple of guys pushing 'stress tests', and only one counter picketer with a sign "Scientology Fights Drugs" - he was braver than I - in that neighborhood those are fighting words - I'd have been scared some local dealer would come after me late one night. Scientology may give you wondrous OT powerz - but obviously not street smarts.

We did get lots of reaction from passers by - including a couple of screams of "Scientology Sucks" from passing cars and a steady stream of people passing by walking up and agreeing with us. One woman at the end told us how she had ben slapped in the middle of Market St by one of their body routers for refusing his advances.

Anyway thanks to all who came. Taniwha
=========================

=====
Subject: Re: Picket Report, SF Org, Dec 13 1997
From: "Ermine!" ermine@netscape.com
Date: Sun, 14 Dec 1997 16:03:56 -0800

Conner wrote:

> two more critics appear. they had searched in vain for
> the now mothballed mission, it seems (i could be wrong
> about this, i did not have a chance to talk with them in
> detail.) they have supplies, though,
> and they go off to make their signs. when they finish,
> they are good signs. one calls scn a criminal cult. the
> others asks about the $360K for scn courses.

Yup. Stuka and I tramped around the city for well over an hour, looking for the right Org. We found the Mission on Sutter st., but once we walked there, there was nothing to be seen. What to do? We called the mission!

A nice person at the other end of the line gave us directions - they'd moved further up the street. So, more walking. Once we arrived, I knew we were in the wrong place. I'd seen the org before, it had signs, and people outside, and all sorts of things. This obviously wasn't it.

More walking! We walked all the way back to our starting point, then tried again, after asking for directions to City Hall (We knew it was near there somewhere). Finally we arrived, to find two picketers marching in front of the Org. We said hello, apologized for being late, and sat down to make our signs. (We'd gotten everything at the last minute, and hadn't had time to actually put it all together yet.)

I hadn't been there three minutes when a smiling OSA agent took my picture. I hope he liked the picture of a blank signboard. Of course, they took my picture a couple more times after the sign was made, so they got it both ways.

Thanks to all the helpful tips from posters here on ARS, I knew how to make a sign RIGHT. Vinyl letter 3 inches high spelled out : Scientology is a criminal scam! on one side, and a simpler message on the other: Scientology Kills! (I wanted to finish the sign, I was already late!)

My first picket was certainly an interesting experience. I'd have to say that the 'Scientology Fights Drugs' sign didn't have much effect amidst all the 'Scientology KILLS' signs, but they tried, right? :)

The things that struck home the most during my picket were two main points. first, $cientologists are amazingly predictable. They used exactly the same tactics that have done them so little good before (Counter picketing, taking pictures, etc.), even knowing that their tactics are only bringing more and more picketers.

The second thing that was even more clear - During the entire picket, not one person who didn't come OUT of the org had anything but agreement for our picket. Passers-by, passing cars, even the homeless in the area knew them for the scam they were.

For the rest of the time though, the picket was pretty uneventful. Eventually we were out of videotape, and those of us who were left retired to a local cafe for coffee, hot cider, whatever our preference to warm up after the grey, chilly day.

I was happy to meet some fellow ARS'ers, and glad to be able to picket. I tried to picket at the SJ org last weekend, but I didn't want to do it alone, and never quite got together with anyone else. We'll see what the future holds. Matt O.

=======================

=====
Subject: SF picket. Dec. 13, 1997
From: StukaFox stukafox@shell9.ba.best.com
Date: 14 Dec 1997 08:06:14 GMT

Today was the day to meet the enemy on their own turf. Their turf, however, ended up being a sad little building in a rather seemy section of San Francisco proper, just off the point on Market Street where upscale shopping gives over to head shops and pornographic theaters. On an earlier wanderlust about the city, stopped by the mission on Sutter St. The place was so low-profile it belong wrapped around the rim of a souped-up Accura. A single, type-written note said "Scientology, take elevator to third floor." There was no end of raw meet wandering about encumbered with cash outside, but no body handler met them. Fishers of men, indeed!

The org on McCallister occupies a building dating back to 1902, and it damn well looks it. The cornerstone reads, "The Methodist Concern, 1902". The Methodists of 1902 would be a damn sight more than concerned if they knew what the current occupants were getting themselves up to. On this date, however, they were getting themselves up to very little. The residents and passers through in this area were far more interesting than the three bored Scientologists who seemed to be on a permanent smoke break. I can't see what the org is trolling for here. Most of the people I saw seemed to be of the financially challenged variety, and not the kind who had excess cash to shell out for a course in modern scammery. In fact, most of the black folks who wandered through looked at us, then at the Scientologists with a look that suggested only white yuppies like us would have the money to blow on such obvious nonsense.

When my cohort and I came on the scene, there was a nattily dressed young man with a touch too much Eurostyling to his hair handling body routing. Kid couldn't have been more than 17, and he's out hustling "free" personality tests to vagrants on fine Saturday afternoon in one of the most exciting cities on Earth. I felt sorry for the poor bastard. If I was 17 and in the city, I wouldn't be wasting my time playing doorman to the Scam of Scientology. Kid should be out having fun, not doing that crap.

To sum things up, the org picket was uneventful, and it seems everyone who went by was already pretty much aware that Scientology was a scam. Folks in that neighborhood don't have a lot of spare cash and food is a higher priority than obtaining a state of "clear". What was a lot more fun, however, was the walk back to 4th and Mission along Market street with our signs. My friend and I must have passed thousands of people on Market and almost every single one of them looked at my sign (designed by my friend, credit where credit's due!). On the front of the sign, "Scientology Kills!" and on the back, "Scientology is a criminal scam!".

Here's some comments we got:

"Like I need a sign to tell me that."
"It took me a year to get off their mailing list."
"Thank you for telling people what it REALLY is."
"Life's a scam!"
"Yeah, no shit on that. Who the fuck would buy that bullshit in the first place?"
"James Brown is still alive!" (naw, not really. Just checking to see if you were still with me or not)

There was not -ONE- negative comment to our sign. You'd think with all those people we passed, there'd be one smartass who'd pipe up. Nope, not a single person. And all the smiles and thumbs-up we got! I don't know how we could have gotten more appreciative comments unless we were carrying a sign that said "Blowjobs are fun!" or "Child molestors should be castrated!" That was a fun walk. It's fun to be the center of attention in San Francisco!

Anyway, we didn't save the world from Scientology, and probably just gave a few of the guys at the org a chance to have a few more smokes and enjoy a grey day outside. But I had a lot of fun and the Scientologists weren't monsters (in fact, they were quite polite to me, and not pushy or rude at all). The other protestors were equally professional, despite the fact that many had been treated poorly at other orgs in the past. All-in-all, I'd say it was worth the time.

If you're thinking of protesting, go for it! Get a group of friends together and pick an org. It's fun to be on the good guy's side!

====================

=====
Subject: Picket Report, SF Org, Dec 13 1997
From: seekon@cyberpromo.com (Conner)
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 14:28:14 GMT

a bay area critic emailed me, said that people were thinking of picketing the SF org today, 12:30-3:00, inviting me along. didn't post to ars, wanted to surprise them a bit. i'll let him tell his own story. also the 6 others. everyone has their own perspective, their own good story.

picketing sounded good. i had made signs last week, but couldn't use them due to rain and other conditions. i intended to picket anyway, and would greatly prefer to do my first with someone who knows the ropes.

i was there at 12:30, but there was no one else. i waited for 15 minutes or so, watched a greater amount of traffic in and out of the org than i liked - maybe 8-10 people. a blond/reddish male, 5'7", sweater, acting like a lookout maybe, saw me, maybe saw the outline of my sign in it's black plastic trashbag, came over to smoke a cigarette in my vicinity. "hi", he said. "how you doing?" i replied. i smiled at him. he finished his cigarette and went back to drifting around the front of the org.

did plans change? nonetheless, i decided i was going to picket. i unsheathed my sign. one side said "Scientology "tech" Killed Lisa McPherson, December 5, 1997". The other side said "Scientology (chiefly) responsible for Deaths of Lisa M., Noah L., Susan M., P. Vic, & many more". 'Killed' and 'Deaths' were in blood-red characters. i would have liked to put their full names on the sign, but i used big letters for visibility, and you can only fit so much on even a large sign.

I had earlier donned a dark blue bathrobe with a hood. i wanted to emphasize the death theme, to look like death. i'm not sure i achieved that, but the insiders appreciated the blue bathrobe theme. i pulled the hood over my head, down low over my eyes, obscuring my face a bit. i walked forward, in front of the org.

i made a couple passes , up and down the sidewalk, before i got a reaction. the sweater guy took my picture. aha, OSA. i gave him a full frontal view of my sign, and waved at him. i wonder if i gave anyone a bit of a start. i'm only a tiny bit shorter, and maybe a tiny bit stouter than dennis erlich, whom they seem to hold in abject terror. could they have been confused?

i made another turn. a young man, maybe 25, dark hair, coming up the sidewalk, sees my sign. "who's that?", he says. he's reading the lisa mcpherson side. "how did they kill her? did they audit her 8 hours a day?"

"lisa mcpherson died in scientology care in clearwater", i said. "of dehydration. she went crazy, and they sat and watched her die for 17 days. they didn't provide her proper care".

shit, i think. i'm not getting the right message across quickly enough. but before i can say more, a tall, lean guy comes out of the org, and intercepts the young man i'm talking to. "don't talk to them," he says, and takes his arm and leads him back into the org.

well, fuck. i do have a bit to learn about this. i didn't make him to be scn. still, i think his question was sincere. i think that if co$ tries to feed him their bs about her having a staph infection, he'll recognize the lie it is, and he'll blow..

about 1:00, another picketer, our coordinator, appears. he apologizes for the delay, indicates family matters holding him up. no problemo, i'm happy to see him. he is a vigorous picketer, moving maybe half again my speed. soon after, our videocam shows up, taping to insure than any hanky-panky will be properly dealt with. he and 'sweater' engage in dueling cameras.

our own biased journalist appears. i want her to tell her own story, because i'm sure it will be interesting in her own words, from her own perspective. but let's just say that 'sweater' also made her, around the corner in a coffee shop, also at about 12:30. we didn't surprise them that much. i'd sure like to hear their sorry excuses for their inability to handle things, given what they knew. i wonder if they can say the word 'losers'? i said 'state of confusion' several times, loudly, in their vicinity. they seemed a bit put off.

we march up and down the sidewalk. another young man appears, reads my sign, the "responsible for deaths" side. "is that true?" he asks. "i believe it is true," i say. "scientology drives people crazy, then denies them the support they need to get out of it." i'm not sure exactly what happens then, but somehow he maybe retreats a bit and i continue picketing. maybe our biased journalist, who was there, can fill it in. for me, another surprise. he continues to hang around in front of the org, interacting with others, obviously scn. i don't think he was as sincere as the first, but it's obvious that scn doesn't want to engage in any verbal duels.

in response to the pickets, they put a proselityzer out on the street, a young man in a leather jacket who attempts to give passers-by a copy of the OCA personality test. most people refuse it. when i'm near him, in the course of my picketing path, i ask him for a leaflet. he refuses. "what?" i ask, "you don't think i'll go for it". he shakes his head vigourously, smiles nervously, and says "no". a little bit later, our tall, thin friend comes out and talks to him, and i overhear his admonishment that the proselytizer not talk to us. i think we got us a winner, personally.

a little later, a second young man - taller, quieter- joins the first to proselytize. however, they only last about another 30 minutes. nowhere near the stamina of the pickets. also, a skinny woman shows up out front. i've seen her before, in the mexican restaurant across the street. she does put a burrito, even a super burrito, away. but if her expression is a smile, it looks grim. she has leaflets in her hand, but she doesn't last 15 minutes. i think she's not far from 'outta here'.

two more critics appear. they had searched in vain for the now mothballed mission, it seems (i could be wrong about this, i did not have a chance to talk with them in detail.) they have supplies, though, and they go off to make their signs. when they finish, they are good signs. one calls scn a criminal cult. the others asks about the $360K for scn courses. also, another noted critic appears.

there's not a lot else to report. many passers-by salute our efforts, saying something like "you got that right". a car goes by, a voice shouts "scientology sucks". another car goes by, a voice shouting "scientology sucks". same car? i have no idea. but i like the sentiment.

a couple of people passing by are awfully knowledgeable. (this is good). 'diamond dave' engages one critic for a long time, talking about hubbard and all. one passer-by asks why it took me so long to find out (that scn kills people). i try to tell him that i've known it a while, and i'm just trying to get the word out. his expression tells me he's been there, done that. a number of people tell me 'thank you, thank you for telling about this bunch of shitdips (or equivalent). People need to know.'

another passerby tells us how impossible it was to get off the mailing list, and how her father got scn 'junk mail', on the day he was buried.

a lot of passersby honked. they liked our message, from what i could tell. and that's gratifying.

it would be unfair of me not to describe our counter-picketer. i am told that he is there at all co$ pickets. he first took all of our pictures, with an expensive camera. later (much later, suggesting he is a coward), he took up a sign that said 'Scientology fights drugs'. but it was a sadly ineffective sign, even being (according to some critics) prepared for several weeks, and i think the critics signs were substantially more visible. and he even departed before the critics did. too much entheta for him, i guess.

so that's about it. in total, i have to assign scientology a state of confusion. they are truly very far from being in control of anytrhing, even their own members. what losers this stupid dipshit cult attracts!

again, this is just one report. i hope everyone else at the picket also gives their impressions. whatever they are, i doubt that they are what scn wants to hear.