September 8, 1997 - Gregg Hagglund

For Monday September 8, the actual 30th Anniversary of Scientology in Canada, Artemis and I had decided to give the Co$ a surprise reprise of Saturday September 6th INFAMY! Picket, for at least one hour.

We were prepared for stiff oppostion -
-and we got it!

Toronto Picket #7: INFAMY! II - A 'LOUD' BRAWL!

We had hoped to throw all and sundry at the Toronto Org for a loop by pulling a third Picket in 7 days and we certainly did.

Artemis and I arrived a little early and parked ourselves in the shade of a tree just up the side street opposite the org. We have become familiar faces to the locals and as we waited we had many enquiries along the lines of " Good for you! Going to show'em again?! Good'o!" Etc. Inevitably people asked us for flyers and in a mere few minutes we had given out a half dozen to the locals.

At 1: 55 pm we decided to go over to the org and set up the banner as we had on Saturday last and then wait until 2 pm to start.

As we walked past the org I saw that once more it was totally empty. We set up the banner in moments and waited.

The foot traffic was slow but steady and just standing there we began to get acks from more locals.

At 2pm the org still was unaware of our presence, but not for long. I stretched out the "30 YEARS OF INFAMY!" banner and started on my Criminally Convicted 'Church' harangue. I had the M-Phone at #2, the lowest operative setting. ( #1 is simply the 'on' position.) Artemis was carrying the UFO Cult/Criminally Convicted Church picket sign.

We began to give out flyers at a fair pace, nothing especially demanding.

The org stirred.

People jogged back and forth inside and soon a videocamera in the hands of 'Wimpy the SeaOgre' appeared in the side window of the org. It was a difficult position for him. He was kind of squeezed between two bookshelves and leaning on a chair with one knee. Most awkward.

Artemis deserves some *real* kudos for today as he handed out *all* of our flyers and pamphlets some 400 plus to about 300 people.

Between 2 pm and 3: 15 Artemis went through about 90 Court Opinions coupled to RXSpecials.

The counter-picketing was lame and a fair number of the CoS propaganda was hitting the sidewalk. Our stuff was either carefully read asap or folded and tucked into pockets, purses or stuffed in shopping bags. The level of acks from an admittedly slow but steady crowd was outstanding.

At about 2:30 a Bicycle Cop came by and stopped to talk to us. I think he was a black cop, I can't remember at the moment, such distinctions are often meaningless to me. Anyway, he just kinda passed the time of day. He did glance at my stoic friend: the ONEWAY DO NOT ENTER post and noticed the Tywraps attaching the other Banner pole. He gave me a raised eyebrow and I said I had clippers. He smiled and then asked how long we would be doing our Demo. I told him we were going to go at least to three and then break for an hour and given that it was such a fine day we would do at least one more hour from 4 to 5. He nodded and then reminded me to call 52 division if any problems developed.

Then he left.

And that is when it started.

Artemis was just telling me that Buttnor had sailed on by and gone into the org when the 'New Slant' sound track began on the external speaker. The volume was quite reasonable and I felt no need to adjust my volume.

Artemis and I continued until about 3:15 and called a break when he ran out of Court Opinion flyers. We rolled up the banner and retired to the Artful Dodger to get some liquid refreshments. Artemis got a table and I took the Banner back to my vehicle. I had to shake a tail doing it tho'.

At 3:30 I rejoined Artemis at the Arful Dodger (great coffee folks) and we relaxed in the sun and just veged. At 3:50 Artemis says 'heads up' and I look up to see Buttnor and Wimpy walking past us returning to the Org.

It was obvious they had been on a sweep, looking for us. They gave each other nods and winks and smirked our way. They had caught us! We were doomed!
<grin>

We paid our tab, and sauntered back over to the Org. Buttnor was in the doorway, smirking. And the 'ANIMALLLLLL' track was on at 'earshatter'.

We started up again. I set my M-phone to #3 and began with my "$100,000 secret routine". The number of passersby was up. Artemis began going through a lot of flyers. After about 15 minutes the Org took the sound to 'earthblast'. Half the track was so distorted it could not be understood. It attracted a lot of attention of people. I thumbed my mike to #4 and announced to the open Org door that they were interfering with a lawful Picket and I was going to call the cops. I got smirks from the two OT3 ladyclams they had outside counter littering, er leafletting. I stepped up the sidestreet beside the Org a bit and called 52 Division. I explained the situation. They said that they would try to send someone about, but as long as it was just sound and 'rush hour ' was starting, it might be awhile if at all. Why didn't I just turn up the M-phone? I said I didn't want to disturb the local businesses. He said if enough complaints came in then absolutely *something* would be done.

Right.

I gave the idea of going up to #5 or #6 a passing thought and then decided to combine oratory with #4.

The Battle of the BabbleSpeakers was on.

It was 4:20 and I began a virtual none stop oratory that lasted until the org was forced out of the contest at 5:30.

First I apologised to all in earshot but "the Scientologists were demonstrating their contempt for Civil Law or Wog law as they called it and trying to interfere with my freedom of speech."

I threw this in every once in a while.

I went on and on about Court Opinions, the $100,000 secret, Scientology being ashamed and embarrassed about the Xenu story, the No Christ bit, the Fair game Policy, Hubbards Utopia and the disposal quietly and without sorrow of crtics the infirm, the deaf, the mentally challenged etc. People were stopping across the street and egging me on. Some were shouting things like 'Let'em have it!' 'You tell'em' 'Go louder, louder' 'Fuck those cult bastards' etc. There is a lot of antipathy for the CoS around TO.

Despite the noisy battle people were flocking across the busy street, even as car traffic began to pickup, to get a Xenu Flyer. Artemis was being swamped.

He could hardly deal out the RXSpecials fast enough. At 5 pm the org increased the sound one last desperate increment. I resisted the temptation no more and went to #5. From my position at the roads edge, as I turned and spoke North and then South, I could see people two blocks away craning their necks to catch alook at the source of the sound. I fell into Barker mode and stretched every word and syllable.

Artemis and I quickly decided to keep on picketing until either 6pm or the last flyer.

The days end crowds were pouring past Artemis. He looked like he was almost tossing the flyers out. Hands were grabbing and people were smiling and giving us thumbs up, not trying to shout encouragement over the competing dins, but wanting to communicate their near universal approval.

Finally an angry young woman came up to me and demanded to know if we were going to be here again tomorrow. She couldn't stand another minute of this crap, she shouted. She went on to shout she was going to call a cop!

Artemis was coming over to me for the last bundle of 50 RXSPecials in my bag. He chipped in that she should call a cop! I added that I *had* almost an hour ago, but the Co$ were trying to drown us out! She suddnely twigged. 'You are against them?!' She shouted, questioningly. Yes!, Artemis and I shouted back affirmatively. She snatched a flyer from Artemis and marched away without a word. As I started in again I noticed this woman pulling a cell phone from her bag as she walked.

The last wave of passersby swept past Artemis and I and it seemed in mere moments he shouted that he was down to the last 2 dozen or less.

The org sound abruptly stopped at almost exactly 5:30.

I think somebody had the riot act read them on the phone.

What a relief! I thumbed the mike back to #2 and glanced back at the org. The street behind me was empty. Not a clam insight. I spotted a few huddling inside the 'store'. They appeared to be arguing. At least there were several unhappy faces and much gesturing.

The crowds diminshed as if someone had turned off a faucet.

Artemis went through the next to last flyer at 5:45 and we decided to call it quits. We were at Cause again over the org.

But the days drama was not yet over.

I turned off the M-phone and pocketed the Mike in my vest. Artemis inverted his Picket sign and we started South to go back to my van. We walked past the org. storefront, then Brothers in the middle and started past the org Office section. Artemis stopped and said 'Look, inside the doors! An Event Poster!' I stopped and looked. We were both on the sidewalk. Sure enough, inside the second set of glass office doors was a big 50s neo-proletariot style poster announcing an 'Authors Party'. The details were badly written in a white bottom strip.

I whipped a pen and paper out of one of my vest pockets and stepped up to and peered through the outside set of doors. I needed to see the location date and time and it was there, but in a terrible scrawl.

Things then happened fast.

I was suddenly surrounded. Buttnor was on my left, but I ignored him. He is all bluster and no guts.

But 'Wimpy' was on my right and very close.

"Get out of there!" he growled as I started to write down the details on the poster, " You are trespassing!".

I gave him a head to toe sideways glance.

" I am not demonstrating." I said, " and I am not in your building, but I am going to write down the details of that publicly displayed sign as I have a right to do."

" You have no rights!" Wimpy sneered.

"Oh?" I asked, and reached for my tape recorder. " Would you care to say that again?" I asked. He grimaced. " I thought not." I said quietly. " You know Wimpy," I went on as I finished writing," I think you should report to ethics. You are obviously in a condition of doubt. You flunked your TR attempt with me before and you can't do a thing about a mere SP Wog being at Cause over you and this ORg."

Then he stepped in and gave me a solid bit of his shoulder, just as I thought he might.

He knows nothing of KI. I was set and centred and he bounced right off. He then whipped away and headed behind me towards Artemis. I began to pocket my note paper and glanced to my left. Buttnor was there and livid with anger. I gave him a slight glance and dismissing him I turned back to see how Artemis was fairing. Just as I stepped back I heard Artemis shout 'Flunk!' and saw ' Wimpy' backing away from him. "Get back", Wimpy whined to Artemis. Artemis didn't move. but pointed down and said, " I'm on the public sidewalk."

" And so am I" I added joining Artemis.

Wimpy looked to be almost in tears and he stormed past us and up the street to the Org Storefront.

Now I turned back to Buttnor. He looked at Artemis and I and said, "You guys should come out everyday, we haven't been this busy in awhile!" Artemis and I laughed and I calmly said,

"Oh, you always say that! Do you know how twisted that is? Are you so desperately downstat you have to suck up to two SPs you can not control?"

Buttnor lost it entirely.

He began shouting" You promote hatred! You promote hatred!" You are a hatemonger! You are a hatemonger!"

I caught his eye and quietly advised him. " You know that is defamatory and untrue. Nothing I have said is in the least bit hatred. You've taped it all and your own lawyers have told you so, haven't they?" "Get out! Get Out or I'll call the Polcie!" Buttnor shouted. I shook my head and said, "I am on the public street talking reasonably and you are shouting at me. You look very stressed. Are you worried about not making that $500,000 mortgage payment on Dec 24?"

Buttnor gave me a look I am sure was meant to kill and stormed off up the street in the path of the semi-tearful Wimpy and disappeared into the Store Front.

I looked into the doorway of the Business half of the org and there were the two LadyClams. One was on the a Cell Phone. Probably busy giving the Police a very different version of the attempted physical assault on me and then the verbal one on Artemis and I.

I caught the shorter Ladyclams eye and asked, " Why is Buttnor so non-confront? Why am I so easily at Cause over him? Don't you have any *real* scientologists around here?" And she looked me square in the eyes and smiled! Her eyes sparkled and then she gave a short laugh, glanced at her companion and then looked down abruptly. After a moment she looked up at me again and her eyes were dead.

Like dolls eyes or sharks eyes.

Just empty. A startling and sad transformation.

Artemis and I then turnedto go and a bystander to this loud last fruitless effort by Buttnor and Wimpy relieved Artemis of the last RXSpecial.

We then dodged traffic to cross the street and called it a day.

Of course, part of Buttnor and Wimpy's hysteria was caused by Artemis noticing and me recording the information on their next 'Big Event'.

It is an obvious Demonstration Opportunity.

They know it and so do we.

They regard it as the next skirmish they might lose as they have seven times already.

I look it as another excellent chance to disseminate in an orderly and as pleasant as possible manner the bane of the CoS: Truth.

Watch for my public call for Toronto Picketers. This one is not going to be a surprise at all.