SFist: Photos: Anonymous' Smutty Scientology Protest

Xenu

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:23:58 -0800

There was a time when you could join Scientology and not know what kind of insanity you were getting into. But thanks to Anonymous, Scientology is getting a LOT of publicity. That means news articles, blogs, leaked videos of Tom Cruise, etc. At this point, can you imagine your significant other coming home from work and saying they joined Scientology? And not be joking?

Uncramming

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:42:22 -0800

And for the folks who claim we're a bunch of kids, you couldn't be more wrong. I'm closer to forty than thirty, a working parent and homeowner who's sick of subsidizing these brain-raping terrorists and the trail of destruction they leave in their wake while they target my children with their poisonous propaganda. They've made the declaration of war. We're only fighting back.

Tuesday

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:24:56 -0800

re: Brock Scientology has dealt with serious protesters for years. By finding out who they were and ruining their lives. They have no idea what to do with us. We like it that way. I happen to enjoy having a place to live and a job. Scientology would do it's best to take these things from me because I'm a critic.

Dave2

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:28:14 -0800

Look here, nitwits, who cares about the protests, this is about Scientology. * Operation Snow White: Hubbard ran an espionage program in the mid-70s infiltrating the IRS and other government agencies. They overreached and got found out, Hubbard went into hiding, his wife and ten other Scientologists went to prison. * Operation Freak-Out: The Snow White FBI raid uncovered other operations, including a plan to get Paulette Cooper put in a mental institution. Cooper was a journalist who wrote an anti-Scientology book, and they had previously framed her with a bomb threat using stolen stationery. * OSA: The Church still has an intelligence agency responsible for dirty tricks operations. They collect the personal information of critics; send out 'black PR' letters to their neighbors, employers, the authorities, etc.; harass the critics at their homes or workplace; run frameup operations; etc. * RPF: There's also a shame-based prison labor camp for members who've gotten in trouble with the Church. They have to run everywhere (no walking allowed), not speak unless spoken to, live in sleep-deprived squalor, eat only scraps, with armed guards and motion detectors on site to prevent them from leaving. It's technically 'voluntary'. * Front groups: They recruit people into the cult with a lot of deceptive groups. They have management groups preying mainly on dentists, chiropractors, optometrists, podiatrists, and the like. They have a scam drug rehab program (Narconon, not to be confused with NarcAnon) that puts people on toxic levels of niacin and an unhealthy sauna regimen. They also have Criminon for people in prison. Scientologists giving talks to schoolchildren under the guise of anti-drug programs or the group Youth for Human Rights (whose materials list great humanitarians like Gandhi, Mandela, and L. Ron Hubbard). * And more at your local library.

reader123

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:52:15 -0800

These protests are contradictory and senseless. In fact everytime there is a protest, Scientology is getting free publicity. One could argue that it is "bad" publicity - but Madonna proved this concept was a fallacy.

Brock Keeling

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:54:27 -0800

"Many protests fail because they take themselves too seriously." i have to disagree. not strongly, but i do.

Uncramming

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:52:04 -0800

^^What she said. Many protests fail because they take themselves too seriously. We're accomplishing our goals and having a great time doing it.

Tuesday

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:49:17 -0800

In regards to what lenore said in a previous comment: As far as I know the Catholic church has never sued some one for making insulting comments about the Pope. When the pedophile/Priest scandal was going on did the Catholic church sue any of the news organizations who reported it? Did they try to have protesters arrested for standing in front of the churches? Did they post malicious news letters about vocal critics on the doors of their neighbors in attempts to discredit them? Because Scientology does all these things. As for why we protest the way that we do... We live in San Francisco. Protests here are a dime a dozen. If we were to all stand around in masks and hold our signs no one would really pay attention to us. If we're partying and dancing around and having a great time people stop and ask what we're doing. "We're here protesting the actions of the Church of Scientology" will get people to stop and pay attention every time. The way that we protest is different. It's new, it's innovative and it's getting people to pay attention. As for how effective we've been? There have been people protesting the cult since it's creation. Only now are these protests getting world-wide coverage. Why? Because a group of rowdy kids took to the streets. Because we've forced their hand and made them come to realize that the CoS is an organization like any other and their threats of legal retaliation (the CoS will sue you until you're bankrupt) are just an attempt at suppression of free speech that need to be addressed. I would call this pretty successful. Next weekend we'll be meeting in Washington DC to party at the Mall. Before hand we're going to meet with representative of congress and staffers and government officials and try to get them interested in taking the tax benefit package from the cult. Yes, at our monthly protests we act like idiots but that's just to get attention. Every day on the backside of this we're working to force reform. At the end of this the CoS will either be a legitimate religion or a bankrupt business. Either is acceptable to Anonymous, because either way reform will happen.

jonno_norton

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:04:56 -0800

Oh and their website/youtube video says they have "has chosen to place itself at the forefront of avenging the death of Shawn Lonsdale." What by holding protests like these? Isn't anyone working any harder to get Shawn's death investigated?

jonno_norton

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:00:14 -0800

I stumbled through this on my way into the Powell St. BART Station around 3:30. Dudes are very energetic, but they all seem like a bunch of crusty punks with nothing to say but kiddish slogans. "Scientologists are MUTANTS!" etc. Great protest, but I doubt anybody who saw is taking their shirtless, studded-belt clad members seriously.

spaceboy

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:46:28 -0800

Sam, scientology IS anti-gay. But your rant just shows how homophobic YOU are. WTF is 'Scifags' supposed to mean, huh? I don't give a sh*t if you 'didn't mean it in an anti-gay way.'It just reflects you bitterness and contempt for queer people. Scientologits are a very dangerous wolf-in-sheep's-clothing. They have TONS of money and are much more able to silence their critics. Ever watch South Park? And in the photos, why the simulated anal sex? Admittedly i don't know the context but it seems to me like 'Scientologists are a bunch of buggers' or something to that effect. Which is quite offensive to a population they're not targeting. And anyone who thinks i'm being overly sensitive has never faced a life of discrimination.

sam gregor

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:57:19 -0800

At least there is no chance that all these gate-crashers are Scifags but now that they have had their little bit of fun, can we now maybe get on with what this protest was all about? Scientology is Anti-People, Anti-Free-Speech, Anti-lots of things but not particularly Anti-Gay or it would have lost a lot of its best-known members by now. So back into the closet, guise, unless you can play it straight. You're not the only important people on the planet.

diction

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 02:09:57 -0800

yea. i don't really get their deal. seems like there are more important things going on...

RinconHillSF

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:13:58 -0800

I'd toss Mormons on the list too ... they want to change our state Constitution (along with the Catholics) to allow our government to tell us who we can love. Vote No on Proposition 8 ... Protect our Freedoms!

travin

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:50:59 -0800

@lenore wrote: What kind of religion will silence a critic at any cost? Let's start first by replacing the word "cult" for religion, it's more appropriate. Let's see, an extremist will do: - Cathols - Muslims - Scientologist - Masons - Helenists Most of written history is based largely upon the fighting between extremists from these groups, among others.

andyc

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:18:41 -0800

lenore, i don't know if you heard about this but christian fundamentalists have infiltrated the United States Government to the point where they actively control it. in fact it's pretty much impossible to attain a high level office in this country without at least paying lip service to the christian god diety. scientology is a joke but it's not like it's any worse than a million other fucked up things that are around to be pissed about. these anyonymous guys seem like they are having a good time, more power to em i guess.

Brock Keeling

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:37:44 -0800

funny. your exact question was, "What kind of religion will silence a critic at any cost?" and the correct answer is: many. but, yes, i see what you're getting at there. also: gosh, i kinda want to have my files removed from certain govt agencies. xenu, e readers, and beck here i come!

lenore

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:34:46 -0800

Really? When was the last time another religion infiltrated the United States Government to remove any documents critical of themselves? OH OH OH I know...Scientology. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Snow_White

Brock Keeling

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:29:08 -0800

"What kind of religion will silence a critic at any cost?" Most of them.

lenore

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:26:42 -0800

@rincon They are not protesting the religion they are protesting the abuses and illegal activities of the Cult. While all these pictures are from the dance party slow down that happens at the end of a "Raid" they were handing out fliers and holding signs that had to do with Scientologies OSA division which handles PR and tracks down critics to silence them. What kind of religion sends PIs to follow critics? What kind of religion will silence a critic at any cost?

RinconHillSF

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:16:39 -0800

... still feel a little bit of discomfort about these protests targeting this 'religion'

OrangeDrink

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:16:26 -0800

Yeah, not quite sure why a dude dressed up as Pyramid Head is here. Oh wait, he rapes people. Right. Also, floral print dress girl is pretty.

ejcsanfran

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:46:51 -0800

someone needs to invent a device that can separate shirtless guy #2 from his pants and then send him to my apartment...

Generic

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:39:14 -0800

they did. it's called tear gas.

rajbot

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:04:00 -0800

someone needs to invent a device that can separate protesters from theater.