Anonymous Has Struck Another Blow to the "Church" of $cientology

Okay, I know that I said I would videotape the protest but unbeknownst to me, my camera was low on electricity. Therefore, I will give the usual written account of what has happened yesterday. In the beginning, small groups of protesters moved to the street we had aquired a permit for. Those who were more involved in the organization of the protest shouted directions to the rest of us, telling us to clear paths for pedestrians and to spread out more. I do not know how much coverage we had, but I do know that several people showed up to interview, film, and take pictures of the protesters. Some of these people were anons, some were probably Scientologists (these people did not conduct any interviews), and others may well have worked for local newspapers.

Throughout the day, the number of protesters in front of the Scientology center varied as well as how concentrated we were based on the fact that anons kept leaving to get food or go to the capital. However, if I were to estimate the number of protesters who showed up, I would put it at about eighty. New protesters also showed up throughout the day, for whom some anons had brought dust masks and party hats. Some protestors brought extra signs or gave theirs away if they had to leave early, such as one of the organizers, whose sign bore the words "give back Will Smith!"

Whenever a pedestrian approached us, someone would shout "make a hole" and we would clear a path for the pedestrians to walk through while a few anons tried to hand out fliers. Some people would simply walk by us but others stopped to ask what we were here for. Several anons had signs encouraging drivers to honk at us and whenever someone complied we would shout and cheer in appreciation. If someone approached the Scientology center, we would shout "it's a trap" or "don't go in!" At one point, many of us moved over to the other end of the street where Scientologists were leaving via a backdoor. One protester shouted "have you ever seen Tom Cruise fly? It's beautiful!" Another followed this up by yelling "show us your superpowers" at the security guard.

About halfway through the protest, a Scientologist left the building to go talk to one of the policemen, who were understandably grumpy, considering they had to babysit us all day. As he walked over to the officer, I shouted "Why don't you come talk to us? You know why we're here! Lisa McPherson! Ellie Perkins!" Other protesters immediately began yelling similar questions and comments as he spoke to the policeman and retreated back into the building.

While I can't blame him for not wanting to go out on his own and speak to a large crowd of people who have declared themselves enemies of his entire organization, the issue of Scientology's silence is still a vital one. Yesterday, Fox News aired a report on the protest in LA (ironically, it was Fox News that originally labeled Anonymous as "hackers on steroids") in which they spoke to not only Anonymous, but also Mark Bunker and Tory Christman, both of whom attended the protest. However, the CoS refused to engage in any kind of dialogue with the reporters. The only statements that have been made by Scientology are blatant lies that have easily been exposed by Anonymous. Not only this, but they have manufactured the very threats that these lies are based on!

On April 12, Anonymous will host Operation Reconnect, in which former Scientologists will speak about their time in the CoS and their "disconnection" from friends and family members still in the cult. This will be a protest specifically aimed at the CoS's policy of excommunicating anyone who speaks out against it. Personally, I would love to see this followed up by a protest inviting the CoS to come and talk to us. If this invitation takes the form of an actual protest, Scientology will not be able refuse this invitation without garnering a great deal of suspicion. On the other hand, if Scientology does try to defend their policies publicly, the public will be even more exposed to the naked truth about Scientology.

Scientology's policy is to never be on the defensive and always be on the offensive. If someone challenges Scientology, the church is not to defend itself against the actual allegations, but rather to attack the critic in any way necessary. This tactic has been a very wise one up until now becuase Scientology's action are, quite simply, indefensible. There is no way to justify the brainwashing tactics practiced upon newly recruites Sea Org members. There is no way to justify demanding hundreds of thousands of dollars for "salvation." There is no way to justify Scientology.