Alt.religion.scientology
Week in Review Volume 5, Issue 17
8/6/2000
by Rod Keller [rkeller@...]
copyright 2000

Alt.religion.scientology Week in Review summarizes the most significant
postings from the Usenet group Alt.religion.scientology for the preceding
week for the benefit of those who can't follow the group as closely as
they'd like. Out of thousands of postings, I attempt to include news of
significant events, new affidavits, court rulings, new contributors,
whatever. I hope you find it useful. Like many readers of a.r.s, I have a
kill file. So please take into consideration that I may not have seen some
of the most significant postings.

The articles in A.r.s Week in Review are brief summaries of articles
posted to the newsgroup. They include message IDs for the original
articles, and many have a URL to get more information. You may be able to
find the original article, depending on how long your site stores articles
in the newsgroup before expiring them.

Free A.r.s Week in Review subscriptions are available.
Subscriptions are also available on ONElist. Email
weekinreview-subscribe@onelist.com or see http://www.onelist.com
Week in Review is archived at:
http://www.xenu.net/archive/WIR/
http://wpxx02.toxi.uni-wuerzburg.de/~krasel/CoS/ars-summary.html
http://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs1dc/scientology/wir.html
http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

#####

> Chaka Khan

The Cincinnati Enquirer published an article on July 28th, in which singer
Chaka Khan described her involvement in Scientology's World Literacy
Crusade.

"I'm starting a foundation, the Chaka Khan Foundation,' she explains. 'We
deal with women and children in crisis. I'll be launching that in a couple
months time. And I teach art classes twice a week in Compton to kids in
the World Literacy Crusade and other kids in the neighborhood there.'

"She says that she and Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., are scheduled to meet
with Hillary Clinton on a project to bring more arts education into public
schools, 'and get Ritalin out of our schools. And we want to build a co-op
for women and children for medical care and job training and child care
facilities and the whole bit,' she gushes, finally stopping for a breath."

Message-ID: <jp2jos0vc6lovbiho412ul5uj9b5o2u3nm@...>

#####

> Operation Clambake

Andreas Heldal-Lund reported that Scientology has again blocked links to
pro-Scientology sites from Operation Clambake, at http://www.xenu.net.

"I want people to think for themselves not just accept my point of view.
I've added several links to your own web pages for people to have easy
access to them. In November 1999 you blocked your pages so that anybody
who pressed a link on Operation Clambake to your pages would be refused to
access your official web pages in the Internet. I responded by setting up
pages on other accounts so that the links wouldn't go directly from
Operation Clambake. Now it seems you've finally caught up, after 8 months.
The links from these pages are dead too now."

Message-ID: <cfsbos0d3540qd82u7fn4ol1de7abshb4e@...>

#####

> Clearwater

In the wake of Ursula Caberta's visit to Clearwater, the St. Petersburg
Times printed the letters of several Scientologists and one
non-Scientologist on July 31st

"With respect to the recent press conference by Ursula Caberta, it would
be more responsible and professional for the Times to do some research and
discover the truth of the situation. A little investigation would reveal
that Ms. Caberta's views are rooted in a centuries-old German tradition of
religious oppression. -- Marlin Anderson, Tampa

"Unfortunately, you missed the point that Ursula Caberta is bringing
intolerance and religious discrimination into this country by continuing
her business in Germany on American soil. In the United States, Caberta
showed up at a press conference as a German official persecuting my
religion, the Church of Scientology, and its parishioners. How could
Ursula Caberta be surprised to be called a Nazi by Americans? She denies
to my religion the right of existence. Because of people like Caberta,
Germany is focused more on the persecution of honest people than on
fighting the neo-Nazis who actually harm and even kill people. -- Hans
Bschorr, Clearwater

"I'm so tired of the criticism letter writers give about the Church of
Scientology. The Scientologists have done more to save the downtown area
than the city of Clearwater, which wanted to give it away. I live by and
drive through downtown almost every day. All I ever see are well-dressed
and well-behaved people going about their own business. Maybe you would
rather have gangs, prostitutes, derelicts and boarded-up window fronts.
Most small downtowns would kill to have an educational facility like the
Scientologists have set up. I am not a Scientologist, nor do I belong to
any other church group. -- Lee Wilhelm, Clearwater"

The St. Petersburg Times reported on August 1st that a proposal by
Scientology-affiliated lawyer Tim Johnson to eliminate the position of
City Manager was rejected by the City Commission.

"Timothy A. Johnson Jr., a prominent and politically active lawyer from a
local pioneer family, suggested in a letter last week that now is the time
to consider such a change in the city charter -- before commissioners
select a replacement for City Manager Mike Roberto, who resigned last
month under pressure.

"But his suggestion was quickly dismissed at a City Commission workshop
after Commissioner Ed Hart asked his four peers what they thought about
it. His colleagues said the issue could best be dealt with when the city's
Charter Review Committee convenes again in 2003. Hart said later he wasn't
pushing the issue but thought it needed to be debated. He said he had
problems with the way city government functioned under Roberto but also
has misgivings about a 'strong-mayor' system."

Message-ID: <8m3oeg$psj@...>
Message-ID: <8m6cq9$2pn@...>

#####

> Anti-Drug Essay

The Mobile Register reported on August 1st that Scientology is sponsoring
an anti-drug essay contest.

"A regional essay contest on the theme 'Anything is Possible When You are
Drug Free,' sponsored by the Church of Scientology, will help mark
'Drug-Free Marshal's Month.' All essays should be in by Aug. 8 and be no
longer than one page. The contest is open to youths aged five to 14.
Entrants should include their name, age and address with the submission."

Message-ID: <8m74bt$764$1@...>

#####

> Jenna Elfman

The Sunday Times published an interview with Scientology celebrity Jenna
Elfman on July 30th.

"Her sitcom, Dharma & Greg, now in its third season, stands eyeball to
eyeball with Friends and Frasier at the top of ratings. Dharma & Greg is
hardly Nobel Prize- winning stuff. It's a corny chalk and cheese set-up
concerning Dharma, a hippie chick with a heart of gold, who marries
straitlaced lawyer Greg - she the passionate type who's kind to old people
and animals; he the voice of respectable reason. Her uncle-in-law, by way
of her husband Bodhi, is the composer Danny Elfman (the Simpsons and
Batman movie themes are his). And Elfman herself is no mean drummer, her
skin-thumping a regular turn on the talk-show circuit; she's jammed with
such luminaries as Bob Dylan, a guest on her sitcom. Elfman has been
quite open about her debt to that great Hollywood powerbroker, the Church
of Scientology, the cult/religion/practice (delete as appropriate) that
has never done anyone's career any harm, no matter what they say about
Battlefield Earth. Elfman has acted as a veritable one-woman, wisecracking
ambassador. As becomes plain. 'I'm making myself more sane, and pulling
away the shit so that I can be present and be able and comfortable and
willing to be in front of other people, to reach into their lives to help
to communicate,' she declares. 'I mean, if you can't even be present, then
you can't really help anybody. I mean, you're as valuable as you can serve
others. I mean, on the day that we can all trust each other, there will be
peace on earth. L. Ron Hubbard says that. Start bringing people together.
You know what I mean? If anyone is inspired by that and creates that,
f***in' great. What's with sectioning off? Everyone has something in
common. That is that they're of mankind. Everyone has the same problems,
they just have different content. So everybody needs to, like, you know,
work on willing to be there for each other.'"

Message-ID: <8m1o03$a65$1@...>

#####

> Germany

Taz published an article on the Scientology exhibit in Hamburg on July
26th.

"The Scientologists chose the location with care: up until last year, the
Interior Agency's Work Group on Scientology, which always warns people
about the sect, used to meet in the same building. Holding the exhibition
in this location was absolutely 'symbolically meant,' said Mydla-Kiessl
'to advance communication.' The exhibition used colorful display boards to
present the personality cult: 'Ron' the Boy Scout, who obtained 21
meritorious badges within 75 days of early 1924. Ron the Flyer, the
Researcher and the friend of mankind who fought illiteracy, cured drug
addicts and re-socialized criminals. Everything strictly scientific, just
like his primary work, 'Dianetics, the modern science of mental health,'
on which Scientology is based.

"Although Scientology is supposed to a religion with practical
applications which lead to 'spiritual freedom,' it proved difficult to get
information from church members. Most of them pointed to Ute Mydla-Kiessl,
who was doing the press work: what is Scientology about? About survival as
the smallest common denominator and, apart from that, living as well as
possible. Is there a soul? Yes. What happens after death? 'I'll tell you
when it happens,' said Mydla-Kiessl."

Schwaebische Zeitung published an interview with Scientology critic Renate
Hartwig on July 27th.

"Mrs. Hartwig, what are the motives for your novel for young people?

"After my first book appeared, 'Scientology - ich klage an,' much changed.
Counseling people who had suffered loss turned into a primary pastime:
bankruptcies, white-collar crime, victimized children, broken youth - all
this focused my look on potential danger to society. I saw how
psycho-groups expanded. And information about them went only at a snail's
pace.

"What makes these organizations so dangerous?

"There is, in every person, an urge to find themselves. It is usually
young people who are lured into psycho-groups under cover of 'help for
self-discovery.' Besides young people, these organizations often target
commercial enterprises. Finally, world domination is the stated goal.
Until it comes to that, political influence is to be obtained in the
commercial force.

"What kind of effect does this goal have upon the individual member?

"First the person withdraws. On the other side he becomes aggressive
because he is trained to think stereotypically in his organization.
Anybody who does not support the goal himself turns into the enemy, even
family members and friends. People are made into tools. Freedom is
perverted.

"And that is the reason for your new book, 'Gefaehrliche Neugier'?

"In this book I describe how psycho-groups obtain influence over young
people and exploit them for their goals. I would like to work shoulder to
shoulder with German businesses to achieve some sort of preventive
program. That is the purpose of 'Aktion Eule.' My slogan has been and will
continue to be 'Better to keep people from going it than them not being
able to get out.'"

Taz reported on July 28th that the Bremen org has moved to a new location.

"The former home of the Bremen Scientology Mission, the Nobelvilla on
Osterdeich, had nothing to do with membership figures. That is according
to Jan Labes, President of Scientology Mission Bremen, Inc. 'Eight years
ago, we simply did not find anything else.' The spaces of the magnificent,
almost 120 year old structure, protected as a monument, have recently
turned out to be extremely oversized. Too few disciples in the Hanseatic
City. Scientology Bremen had to move.

"'They were no longer using all the rooms,' believes real estate dealer
Guenther Diekamp, who currently is offering the property for sale at 3.2
million marks. 'Perhaps the Mission did not develop as much as had been
planned,' Financial difficulties, as Scientology Bremen had admitted
during a trial before the superior administration court of the Hanseatic
City of Bremen on February 25, 1997 probably also played a role. Finally,
15,000 marks a month rent is not a small figure for an association which
allegedly makes no profit.

"'In those places where Scientology maintains larger buildings, that would
be churches, in Germany, like in Hamburg and Munich, there has been talk
in the last several years of a massive decrease of adherents. That leads
to a general phase of upheaval in which Scientology re-organizes itself
and which, certainly, is also taking place in Bremen. Part of that phase
could mean disappearing from the city picture,' said the unnamed source.
The possibility of the move being a delayed reaction to the court decision
of February 25, 1997 which prohibits Scientology from advertising in
certain zones downtown is vehemently disputed by association President
Labes. 'We are doing exactly the same thing that we were doing previously:
We are helping people in the achievement of their spiritual perfection.'
He says he has heard nothing about dwindling membership in other cities.
In any case he says that in Bremen the number is holding at 'a couple of
hundred members.' He doesn't want to get more concrete than that."

Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1000731175038.130E-100000@...>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1000731175129.130G-100000@...>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1000731175148.130H-100000@...>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1000731175214.130I-100000@...>

#####

> Ursula Caberta

Hamburger Morgenpost reported on July 29th on the lawsuit Scientology
filed against Scientology critic Ursula Caberta during her trip to
Clearwater.

"A software corporation from the USA, according to the Hamburg Scientology
center, is supposed to be suing Hamburg's sect commissioner, Ursula
Caberta. The involved woman from Hamburg introduced the 'sect filter'
which is used in Germany to the U.S. and with which it is possible for
companies to avoid falling into the clutches of the Hubbard disciples. The
corporation, so it is said, had a deal slip through its fingers because of
that.

"At first there was some irritation in the Scientologists' Hamburg center,
obviously over the amount of the sum being sued for. First Scientology
reported, '5 Million Dollar Suit!' But then a female telephoned, 'Please
destroy that press release.' A revision followed: suddenly it was
apparently only a matter of 'more than 75,000 dollars.'"

From Hamburger Abendblatt on July 29th:

"The complainant is the American RTI software corporation from Sacramento.
The basis of the suit says that the corporation lost a major contract to a
Germany company after a corporate representative was confronted with
'Caberta's sect filter.' The 'sect filter' is a piece of paper on which
the applicant specifies whether he operates using the technology of
Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. Many companies which do not wish to
have anything to do with Scientology avail themselves of this document,
the essentials of which were worked out by the work group on Scientology
under Caberta in the Interior Agency. The timing of the lawsuit, not
coincidentally, was so that it would fall during Caberta's trip last week
to Florida where - to the displeasure of the Scientologists - she
presented her work against the organization to the press. The Interior
Agency viewed the lawsuit calmly. It was not foreseen that a legal
procedure such as this would be conducted before a U.S. court because both
Caberta and the corporation which invoked the sect filter upon itself are
German. Besides that, reference was made to a (not yet legally
enforceable) decision by the Hamburg Administrative Court which upholds
the technology declaration as permissible."

Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1000731175100.130F-100000@...>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.1000731174948.130C-100000@...>

#####

> Stacy Meyer

The Riverside Press-Enterprise reported on July 3rd that Scientology's
Gold Base was fined for safety violations that were discovered during the
investigation into the death of Stacey Meyer by electrocution.

"The state fined the Church of Scientology's film studio $370 for safety
violations. Investigators were looking into a woman's death, but found no
violations related to that accident. Golden Era Productions near San
Jacinto was cited by the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health
for using an extension cord instead of permanent electrical wiring and for
an improper connection of another cord next to the vault where 20-year-old
Stacy Grove Meyer died, OSHA spokesman Dean Fryer said. Problems with the
cords were not related to Meyer's death, Fryer said. Ken Hoden, general
manager of Golden Era, said both problems have been corrected.

"Meyer, the daughter of church attorney Kendrick L. Moxon and wife of
church member Derek Meyer, died instantly on June 25 when she fell while
climbing a ladder leading into a vault. She touched a 7,200-volt wire and
suffered severe burns over most of her body, according to Riverside County
sheriff's investigators. Sheriff's investigators concluded Meyer's death
was an accident.

"According to OSHA's investigation report, completed Friday, Meyer looped
electrical wire through a slot on a 230-pound steel manhole cover to slide
it off the vault on the northeast side of the film studio. People who knew
Meyer told investigators she was 'physically fit and had the ability to
move' the cover."

Message-ID: <8mctt2$i6v@...>

#####

> Movie Stars

The Los Angeles Times published a society article on August 1st on a
fund-raiser for a non-profit law center.

"Bet Tzedek, the nonprofit law center that provides free legal aid to
economically disadvantaged people in Los Angeles, staged its fourth annual
blowout fund-raiser, the Justice Ball, at Santa Monica's Museum of Flying
on Saturday. The evening raised more than half a million dollars,
according to co- chairmen Rafael Fogel and Randall Kaplan.

"We hung out for a while with some newfound friends, many of whom were in
clear violation of the 'under 35' theme, including Janet Weiland, vice
president of the Church of Scientology, and Lon Tinney, a film
special-effects expert who worked on the original 'Star Wars.'"

Message-ID: <8m8f8i$6hc$1@...>

#####

> Lisa McPherson

The civil case against Scientology in the death of Lisa McPherson will be
moved to Pinellas County and will have a new judge, according to the St.
Petersburg Times on August 5th.

"After three years of being litigated in Tampa, a wrongful death lawsuit
against the Church of Scientology's Clearwater operation has been
transferred to Pinellas County. Moody has presided over the case since it
was filed in February 1997 by the estate of Lisa McPherson, the
36-year-old Scientologist who died in 1995 after 17 days in the care of
Scientology staffers in Clearwater. Moody is leaving the case, having been
tapped recently for a federal judgeship. Rather than hand the case to
another Hillsborough judge, he sent it to Pinellas.

"In a May 3 hearing, Moody questioned why the case against the
Pinellas-based church was being litigated in Hillsborough County. His
comment prompted attorneys for the church and for three Scientology
staffers who are also defendants in the lawsuit to file a motion asking
that the case be moved. They argued that the alleged acts against
McPherson took place in Pinellas, where the church has its headquarters.

"Ken Dandar, the Tampa lawyer representing McPherson's estate, could not
be reached Friday. He has said in the past that McPherson's family wanted
the case filed in Tampa to lessen the chance that Scientologists would be
part of the jury pool. The filing was made possible because the church's
Clearwater branch kept a Post Office box in Tampa."

Message-ID: <8mh0es$50i@...>

#####

> Lisa McPherson Trust

Plans were announced this week for a benefit concert for the Lisa
McPherson Trust, to be held in November in Clearwater.

"The first annual benefit concert for the Lisa McPherson Trust. It is
scheduled for Saturday, November 11, 2000 at a Clearwater, Florida venue
to be announced at a later date. This event will feature area and regional
musical acts, as well as appearances and speeches by former Scientologists
and cult experts, among others. This event is being organized by area
musicians, and all proceeds will be donated to the Lisa McPherson Trust.
For more info, if your band would like to appear at this event, or if you
would like to speak or make a presentation, email MrScary@...,"

Message-ID: <398C94AE.9B147190@...>

#####

> Tom Padgett

An update on the case of Tom Padgett, fighting Scientology in a Kentucky
family court, were posted to a.r.s this week.

"Attorney John F. Padgett received in his Massachusetts office on August
4th by fax, an amended motion to have Tom Padgett charged with yet a new
criminal action to be heard in court on Monday August 8th. The new
accusation in the amended motion reads that Scientologist 'Laura Padgett
called the local Victim's Advocate Office in Madisonville, and reported
that Tom Padgett was 2 months behind in his child support payments. The
defendant should be sentenced up to five years in prison.

"The complaining witness Laura Padgett, is an adherent to the Hubbard
mental health sect that requires her to 'legally harass' former members
and critics. The amended motion is not within the KRS rules of procedure,
for timely notice of service and therefore will have to be re-filed.
Padgett keeps all his receipts and canceled checks as proof. Padgett also
has receipts of US Postal Service Certified Mail 'rejection' where Laura
Padgett refuses to receive envelopes from her declared SP enemy
ex-husband. While this is standard cult 'Disconnection' policy to sever
all forms communication, it also allows her to claim she didn't get a
check in the mail.

"Padgett filed a counter amended motion to have Massamore removed as
prosecutor in Laura Padgett's criminal action and for a change of venue to
dismiss the case altogether!"

Message-ID: <8948-398C14E0-9@...>

#####

> Protest / Revenge Summary

Keith Henson protested at two locations in the San Jose area this week.

"Errands in San Jose and Mt. View took me near the Los Gatos and Mt. View
orgs at 1130 and 1245. They each got token 5-10 minute pickets which were
acked by the clams coming out and taking pictures of me.

Keith also continued his protests at Scientology's Gold Base.

"I arrived at 8am and parked just to the east of Ashlee Shaner's memorial.
Sure enough, Edwin Richardson and thug 2 came out soon as I started
picketing. Their patter was as if no time had elapsed at all since Brent
and I left 10 days ago. I put in two end to end passes. They are still
clearing the west end plaza when I come by, but they might not be holding
people in the underpass now. I had a camcorder with me today and got lots
of thug 2 dancing as I moved the camera back and forth like a baton (he
was trying to block my shots of the empty plaza)."

"Ida and I went out for Chinese food this evening. There is a gigantic
brand new RV parked south on Elk across Stetson. The price tag on this
beast is at least $100k, and it has a Barwick Buick tag (same as one of
the cars last time) in the license plate holder. It is the size of a semi
trailer, and has a built in generator which they are running to power the
air conditioner. The curtains were pulled except for the one in back
toward Ida's place which was open. My spies in Ida's neighborhood report
no fewer than 3 other cars being used to watch the place.

"Muriel Dufresne has been trying to dead agent me to the people who manage
the services for the retirement community where Ida lives. The manager
took the DA material from her and read it last night. It seems that long
before he reached the end of it he had come to an appropriate conclusion.
I think it was the ICBM and cruise missiles claims which brought him to
this conclusion."

"I was there just in front of the 7 am buses, so they got a good view of
my sign about being implanted with dead space aliens. I started east on
the north side of the road. Richardson and thug 2 came out and met me at
the westernmost gate. They started into the same patter as yesterday,
including warnings for me not to make commercial use of any video or audio
I was recording. It was nice and cool, and thug 2 was walking at a
reasonable pace when abruptly he and Richardson got some message, broke
off and walked as fast as they could to the main gate."

"Today started with a very short PI chase. Same car as yesterday. I parked
in the usual place on the west end and started walking east. Edwin and
Frank met me part way to the main gate and were their usual obnoxious
sorts, only they diverged from the patter once in a while to plead that I
go home. At that point we ran into two young guys who both looked like
some kind of heavy agents. We did another full circuit and somewhere on
the east bound leg the two thugs dropped off. The three of us continued to
the east under pass, crossed and when we started back two guys with lots
of tattoos pulled up in a pickup truck. They were fascinated at three
people out there protesting scn - about which they also had a very bad
opinion. Now it was two thugs and 5 people others. Thug 2 (Frank Petty)
came up and scolded the tattooed dudes about stopping. From what LK and
friend observed, Frank was visibly shaking."

From the same protest by "LK"

"They had someone waiting by the entrance to the golf course where we
parked a couple of miles down the road. He kept glancing at us and
attempted to look inconspicuous. His cheap uniform looking clothing and
his suspicious manner and location were all too obvious. We lost the car
we suspected of being a PI. They flaunted their knowledge of where we
lived of course, so it was a moot point to attempt to lose them, they knew
where we were headed. My father just called from work! Scientologists
already called him at work to tell him that [Keith is] an evil and twisted
person and that they'll sue if I go out there again."

Another protest report from Keith:

"I got out there by about 7:30. A whole bunch of kids came out of a work
gate just to the east of the Ashlee Shaner memorial and with an adult
walked off up hill. There was a whole bunch of people in there removing
weeds and cleaning up trash. The patter was about the same as recent
days. I made only one pass. Just as I was leaving, thug 2 who had been
using the standard abuse 'questioning' on me for the previous half hour
asked in a plaintive voice when I was going to be back. If they were nice,
I would tell them, but since they are not."

Keith also posted a revenge report from his wife Arel.

"The same a__hole who followed me from work to home a couple of pickets
ago was in front of my house this morning. As I usually do with picketers
to document their presence I photographed him as I left the house to catch
the train to work. I photographed 2 others yesterday. This picketer always
natters at me, trying to get a rise out of me. I didn't call 911 until he
had followed me for a full block. Then I got out my cell phone and called
them, told them 'A man is following me.' He continued to try to get me to
turn around and look at his sign, asking, 'You think this is fun?' etc.,
and didn't the sight of his sign 'bother' me, and on and on, constant
annoying patter.

"As the police officer started talking with the picketer, I continued on
to the mailbox and dumped in my envelope, then turned around again and
walked past the police officer. The policeman's first words to the
picketer were something like 'Hey, would you give us all a break? There
are such things as stalking laws on the books.' As the officer detained
the picketer, I said, 'Thank you, officer,' and continued on my way to the
train."

"One-Eyed Jim" reported a protest in Bournemouth, England this week.

"The 'What Is Scientology?' exhibition is currently on tour in Britain,
and I was interested to see that it was in Bournemouth for three days. I
decided to go and check out what was going on on Saturday 29 July. I
arrived at the Pavilion a little before 10am, and the Scientologists were
still setting up. It was small with a single entrance up a flight of
steps. This means that I could stay in a public space, and observe
everyone who went in and came out.

"The exhibition itself was just basic-level PR puff. Apparently, auditing
also costs as much as you want it to. One of the more senior members
wandered over and took over. He was quite short, slightly built, grey, and
I'd say about 55. According to grey man, the RPF is a 'voluntary training
program', procedure R2-45 is 'a joke, ha, ha, ha,' and that the fair game
doctrine 'doesn't really mean anything'.

"I showed him one of the Xemu leaflets and he basically wouldn't look at
it at all. He said that all of the information I had been given was
forged, and that he'd 'met these people and they aren't very nice people'.
I settled down on a wall and accosted people on the way out with a
leaflet. I found that the phrase 'If you've been to see the exhibition,
you'll need one of these. Don't laugh too hard' got the best uptake.

"The bus arrived - big blue 20-year old double decker with half-open top
and snazzy new paint job. People came out holding clusters of balloons.
With the bus came a larger contingent of body routers, so I started seeing
a lot more leaflets around and quite a few more people being routed into
the exhibition. I had my first direct intervention by a body router. On
the way out of the exhibition, I tried to give a leaflet to two girls, and
he told them they didn't need it. He then tried to snatch it out of my
hand, tearing it in the process. When I tried to ask the girls again
whether they wanted to decide if they got a leaflet, he got between me and
them and angrily told me that he had been having a conversation, actually.
Body router 'C' loudly informs me 'Be assured of this. We will find out
what crimes you are guilty of. And you will go to prison for them.' After
all the soft handling all day, I was totally flabbergasted. All I could
say was the exceedingly lame 'Thank you very much.' Total leaflets
disposed of: 28, of which 2 visibly destroyed and some other intercepted."

"ACT" protested at the Canberra, Australia org this week.

"Armed with my Sony Handycam and an A2 laminated 'Scientology Despises
Free Speech' sign, I marched up and down for no more than fifteen minutes
before Lara emerged. In an uncharacteristically nonconfront fashion, she
told me not to talk to any Scientologists because that would be construed
as harassment. I quickly clocked three Scientologists spying on me. The
first was a man in black trousers, black jumper, black tie and white
shirt, holding a clipboard. The others were young lads in blue jumpers
(resembling school uniform) who patrolled around the street, looking at me
and talking into concealed walkie-talkies."

Kristi Wachter and "Realpch" reported a protest in San Francisco this
week.

"Seven of us - Murdoch, Adam, Aaron, Ryan, Peaches, Phr, and me - picketed
the San Francisco org today, from about noon until 2:15, and then again
from 3:20 until 4:30. We handed out LOTS of fliers. Response from the
public was very good - even better than usual, probably due to having more
than two picketers."

"Our new picketers Murdoch and Adam had returned and brought two more with
them, Erin and Ryan. This was a most enthusiastic group, with a high
energy level, well-equipped with picket signs, and a video camera for
those moments when you wish you had one.

"There was an amusing incident where one of the Scientologists invited our
four new picketers to visit inside the Org. They decided to do so, and
those of us who had not been invited or who had no wish to visit,
collected their signs to hold for them as it would not be at all seemly to
take such items inside the Org. They went in the door and came right back
out. It seems that there was some hitch in the proceedings and they were
not welcome at that particular time.

"Jeff Quiros did come out and take the usual photographs of the usual
suspects. I got the customary honks and thumbs-ups from the passersby, and
the funniest comment I heard was from a man who received a flyer,
indicated that he had some knowledge of Scientology and expressed his
opinion in a heavy foreign accent, 'They steal money.'

"One of my neighbors informs me that The Loudmouth came by my house and
walked up on my porch and left a flyer about me there. I am assuming that
it was one of the customary 'Religious Bigot' flyers. I didn't see it. On
of my other smaller neighbors saw him put it there and came up and took it
away."

"Raptavio" reported on a protest in Toronto this week.

"Attendees: Kaeli, ZeratulCat, AndroidCat, Mike Argue, and a certain
visiting Minnesotan. I talked to a gent across Yonge street from the org
handing out personality tests. I asked him about the picketers. He said
they were picketing his church, that's why he's here today, and handed me
a DA flyer on the picketers which, in the Org's favor, did not name any
names. He said he was a lit prof at a local university, and was very
polite.

"The handler named Paulette came over. She asked if I was with the
picketers, I told her the truth - that I was invited by the picketers but
I was not there to picket, but just to determine the truth about the
conflicting picket reports I'd seen coming from Toronto. She, too, felt
the need to tell me that they're all on psych drugs, and that their
ringleader is Gregg Hagglund who is engaging in criminal behavior and she
went down the usual list of Gregg's alleged crimes. I asked her if she
believed in the Scientology doctrine that all critics are criminals, and
she said she didn't and that many are just misinformed and at the core of
it all was people messed up by psychiatry and segued into saying how sorry
she felt for Kaeli who has all these anxiety problems and who is messed up
by psychs with all this anxiety.

"A couple people did get routed into the org. One told a story about
having waited on a pack of Scientologists to the tune of $200 for the meal
and getting stiffed on the tip. Kaeli got handled by a chain-smoking older
woman who said she didn't like Kaeli handing out her fliers with lies on
them. Kaeli asked the lady to point out the lies, and the lady grew
silent, turned and walked away.

"During the course of the picket there was I was told a bit of shoving at
one point (I didn't see it) and the afternoon personality test router
snatched a critic flyer from the hand of a passerby (which I didn't see,
but my camera saw)."

Message-ID: <8mca8h$irs$1@...>
Message-ID: <8m1ojr$lj9$1@...>
Message-ID: <8m9vu2$jh0$1@...>
Message-ID: <8mb2ed$71t$1@...>
Message-ID: <4f179ce9be2e48a06a5e220a963ef835@...>
Message-ID: <8mdog9$al9$1@...>
Message-ID: <7Xti5.24295$c5.68537@...>
Message-ID: <8mgeac$hge$1@...>
Message-ID: <8mj1tn$l7m$1@...>
Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.4.21.0008051650320.30987-100000@...>
Message-ID: <8midko$bpn$1@...>
Message-ID: <398CD191.2F111246@...>

#####

> UK

The Birmingham Post reported on August 1st on the Scientology exhibit
there.

"Devotees of the controversial new religion Scientology will launch a
four-day exhibition in Birmingham today in a bid to shake off their 'cult'
image. The exhibition, at the Burlington Hotel in New Street, is being
held to dispel the wilder rumours surrounding the group, including a
worship of beings from outer space and allegations of intimidation and
harassment.

"Scientology promoters said the exhibition would demonstrate the
religion's openness and its work for the public good, which included drug
rehabilitation and anti-crime programmes. Spokesman Mr Graeme Wilson said:
'The cult image is a stereotype placed on any new religion. The purpose of
this exhibition is for people to find out who we really are. Mr Wilson
said the confusion about Scientologists' worship of an alien race called
Thetans may have arisen from the science fiction writings of the group's
founder, L Ron Hubbard.

"Another source of concern for many people was Scientology's method of
recruitment. The woman, from Birmingham, said her daughter had been
approached by an unidentified person outside New Street Station and asked
to complete a detailed questionnaire about every facet of her life, before
she was offered expensive courses to correct her 'personality problems'.
Mr Wilson said personality tests were an important tool in recruiting, but
every representative should announce who they were and why the test was
being carried out."

Message-ID: <fekeosk2ict6kat40ltavm1q0pdej6s3ni@...>

-end-