Picket reports
Picket reports for 1998 (reports perhaps not webbed elsewhere)
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Subject: Toronto Picket Report 98/12/05
From: wulfen@NOSPAMtotal.net (Wulfen)
Date: Sun, 06 Dec 1998 18:30:05 GMT
Message-ID: 366acc42.2005771@localhost
Toronto Picket Report, 98/12/5
This picket was dedicated to the memory of Lisa McPherson.
Picketers: Myself (Wulfen), Seanster, Android Cat, Slippery Jim, and an ARS lurker whose name escapes me.. Sorry. :-( (I'll refer to him as Lurker until further notice.)
Leaflets: Approximately 200 of Deana Holmes' new Lisa McPherson flyers. Plenty of Roland's "$cientology: Insane Cult" and Lurker brought along some leaflets detailing the Scienositter. He went through a couple of fistfuls. :-)
Signs:
(side 1) http://WWW.XENU.NET
(side2) $cientology: BAIT AND SWITCH "Church"
(side 1) $cientology: Gerbil Wheel to Total Freedom
(side2) Staff Members get a 10% commission on sales. Is this a church?
(side 1) Scientology Destroys Lives and Minds
(side2) Scientology Orders Family Ties Severed
(side 1) What church persecutes and frames critics?
(side2) What church intimidates and sues maliciously?
Times: 10 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 5 PM
Because Gregg, Artemis, and Deep Wog are down in Clearwater, Florida, I took the role of Picket Host for the day. Seanster and me met at the usual Starbucks (others turned up later), and got set up to roll. Seanster tolerated my fussing and nervous demeanor. At quarter to ten we headed down, and I introduced myself to the off-duty police officer (that the Org has to pay approx $400 for, because in the past they misbehaved and if they called in any other false alarms they would get ticketed). I gave him a copy of the picket rules (Paraphrase of rules: Be good, don't be bad.), which he seemed to appreciate. He gave it to me straight about how we were all to be good (redacting, paraphrasing). I reiterated the long record of nonviolent, peaceful protest that the Toronto ARSCC enjoys, and asked him in return to tell me if any of our side got out of line, so I could make sure we were all operating on the same wavelength. Of course, this is never a problem, but the officer on duty should know.
Then, I put together my sign. I didn't change my slogan to something involving Lisa McPherson for this picket, because I couldn't think of anything involving her death that wouldn't be inciteful. So, I stuck with $cientology: BAIT AND SWITCH "Church", as that makes it as clear as possible that I am not a Scientologist. For this picket, since I would be occupying the "point" position near the Hubbard Dianetics Foundation, I duct-taped my sign to the bottom of my music stand. After being weighed down with my backpack, it stayed upright nearly the whole picket. Voila! I had both hands free for leafleting. Gregg Hagglund sign tech the cheap way. ;-)
Well, I found out the hard way what it's like for Gregg at a picket. From the start, I was constantly gang-handled. From a few minutes after the start of the picket, I had a group of Scientologists haranguing me. This culminated a while later with two Scientologists standing in front of my sign (apparently to block the public from seeing it), one videotaping me, and another two haranguing me. I tried to move my sign out of the way, and just missed the lady who would handle me for the rest of the morning (yes, they were standing that close). So, I turned around, and there was the police officer by the Hubbard Dianetics Foundation. I asked him, straight out, "Is it kosher that they can block my sign?" (quote perhaps not exact). Well, he beckoned them aside and informed them in a straightforward manner that they shouldn't be confrontational and provocative. At least, I gather that was the gist of the discussion, because after it the only people left handling me were "Pixie" (who blocked Gregg last time), and the camera operator (who rotated throughout the picket).
Pixie (don't know her real name) and me ended up chatting, when I wasn't passing out leaflets. I think she may have been trying to divert my attention, but once I made it clear via my actions that I wouldn't be distracted, she only talked to me when I wasn't passing out flyers. Pixie told me that I have beautiful blue eyes (I do, so there). We ended up having a friendly chat about lots under the sun, and some about Scientology as well. I passed out lots of leaflets, and found out interesting things about the way a Scientologist views the world. As I've often said before, I get on just fine with Scientologists when they're not screaming "criminal" at me. Pixie even told the other handlers a couple of times to stop bugging me, because I was nice. Also, she did loosen my Scientology Tyrannical Operational Policies tag, which had been getting tighter around my neck. Although, she did admit that if the police officer weren't watching, she might be turning it the other way. ;-) All's fair in handling an SP, I suppose...
Skipping ahead some, Android Cat arrived, bringing his "gerbil wheel" sign. He joined Seanster in the back-and-forth, stopping briefly to take point for a while as I fixed my sign. Slippery Jim arrived a bit later, and joined in the entheta fun. Now we were four.
The guy on the camera starting asking me if we (ie our group of picketers) were "alt religion". He seemed to have this idea that since ARS exists in the alt hierarchy, we must be against religion. I'm not sure if he was ever straightened out in his own head about the difference between a newsgroup name and our position on religion, but there's hope.
Anyway, the camera operator kept asking me very odd questions.. Like, wouldn't I rather be playing Quake? Playing music? Doing anything but standing where I was on the street corner, in the cold, passing out leaflets? Well, the answer was obviously no. Sometimes, he definitely seemed to be trying to "find my ruin", but at other times he was obviously wishing that I would go away so he could go back inside, in the warmth. Finally, the discussion moved to me mentioning various historical aspects of Scientology (the Wollersheim case, the criminal conviction, Lisa McPherson's case especially), and how I read all the documents on the internet. The camera operator stopped talking to me, for the most part, when the conversation devolved to him saying that he didn't know about this, and me saying, "Well, I do know about this. I've read the documents." This guy can evaluate data (to use the Scn term), but the data that he has is so limited that he sounds ignorant. His brain on Scientology - not enough data to make an informed decision.
A quick word about winter pickets here. I was wearing a full set of thermal underwear, warm socks, shoes, a thick sweater, and a thin trenchcoat made with some insulation that keeps me very toasty. The Scientologists, being very cold, were apparently NOT wearing any real winter wear. I outlasted several handlers, mainly because I was dressed warmly and they weren't. Note to the Toronto Org: Advise your members to dress warmly. It's healthier for them.
I also got to use my voice a lot more. With some care to keep my endurance up, I found that I could go practically non-stop for the whole picket. Slogans were of the "Scientology charged in Lisa McPherson's horrible, lingering death! Two felony charges: Abuse and/or neglect of a disabled adult, 2nd degree felony! Practicing medicine without a licence, 3rd degree felony!" Over and over, with only minor variations, through the whole picket. I hope the handlers got the idea.
At 12:05 PM I read OT3, the first few paragraphs thereof (right up until the bit where Hubbard writes "Good luck"). Pixie mentioned that I didn't have to get nasty.. What's nasty about reading Scientology literature? After, my handlers told me that I didn't get the point of what I was reading. According to them, I was only reading the words, not the underlying meaning (which was presumably why I wasn't dead of pneumonia, ie "implant is calculated to kill").
A noteworthy event occurred around mid-morning. A photographer from Now Magazine came around. Now magazine (Toronto publication, sort of a pop-culture weekly newsprint magazine or something?) is apparently going to publish an article on Scientology this coming Thursday. I'm mentioning this here because my picture was taken, leaning over the "WWW.XENU.NET" side of my sign, holding one of Deana Holmes' "$cientology Indicted: Last days of a Scientologist" leaflets out.
Finally, we went for lunch (after being asked innumerable times when we were going to lunch, and where we would be lunching at). Lunch was the usual plate of fries and orange juice for me, but I couldn't finish it.. The discussion of Lisa McPherson's case turned my stomach. For pretty obvious reasons.
We got back a little late, and the police officer was enjoying the warmth inside the Hubbard Dianetics Foundation. I waved at him through the window, and he waved back. So, I set up my sign again. Having learned from the morning's gusty winds, I made a few changes, and it didn't blow down all afternoon.
The afternoon handling started off differently. The camera was back, with a different operator. Andy Hill and another Scientologist who had been heckling Gregg at the last picket started in on me ("what could I find out about you?" etc), with another Scientologist hanging around. Then, the black-haired woman from last time (who was yelling at Gregg for lots of the picket) started in on me in the same way. So, here I was, with Scientologists surrounding me, heckling and yelling at me. Nice, eh? Quietly, I asked a nearby Slippery Jim to "go get the nice police officer, would you?" Well, the police officer came outside and saw what was going on. I said to him, "These people were hassling us at the last picket -". I was about to add "and would you hang around out here because they behave when you're here", but the police officer beckoned the group of Scientologists over by the HDF. He must have been explaining to them exactly how things work in a democracy, because they were mostly good after that. Isn't it nice when Scientologists are forced to obey Wog Law?
Unfortunately, this talking-to didn't deter the strident, loud Scientologist. After a little while she was back at it, yelling at me how I was a criminal, and how I was just making it up as I went along (this was when I was saying the felony indictments). The police officer must have heard her, because he came out of the doorway alcove of the HDF, stood there for a moment, and then said "Come here, darling," as he beckoned her over. Well, he must have had another of these "they're here to give their side and you're here to give yours" conversations with her, because she didn't bother me for the rest of the picket. (Although I did catch her looking in my direction. Longingly, perhaps? An SP that she couldn't harrass.. Must have been awful for her.)
As the afternoon wore on, Seanster had to take a break, because he was blistering badly. He had to leave early, and I felt no end of guilty about his injury.. Someone issue him an ARSCC citation or something. ;-)
Slippery Jim had to take off, just after Lurker arrived. Lurker, since he was new, got to read the whole picket rules before I'd give him a tag. He passed out lots of leaflets describing Scientology's Orwellian censorware. He also got a still thetacam shoved in his face a few times - an initiation ritual for anyone who pickets the Toronto Org, I'm afraid.
Well, the police officer was keeping a careful watch on the picket, which was nice. Every so often he'd wander around from the front of the Org to the side (where I was). I asked him every so often if things were ok from his perspective, and he always answered in the affirmative. Interesting point: Scientology had to pay this off-duty police officer's salary, but apart from a Don't Go On Their Property warning to me at the beginning (I am NOT going in that Org, ever), never once reproached me for either my conduct or the conduct of any picketers. BUT.. He spent a noteworthy amount of energy saving me from Scientology heckling and harrassment. Scientology is paying for the police officer which is keeping its members in line. Hah.
At about 3:30, the Scientologists started asking me how long we were going to. Also, at this point they started rotating handlers a bit more often (apparently handlers don't wear winter-capable clothing like I do). Well.. I published it to ARS, and we've followed the same schedule at every single other picket.. So what's the problem?
The pedestrian traffic really started to tail off around 4:00, which is when the sun starts going down in Toronto nowadays. Usually in the summer traffic really picks up in the last hour of a picket, and we do a fair effort in leafleting. In winter, all the traffic is local (who have lots of our leaflets anyway), no tourists. So, not much of a finish. Finally, I called the picket at 4:58 (feeling to lazy to continue for another two minutes). As before, by the time we got to our post-picket refreshment place, the street in front of the Org was devoid of Scientologists. They only come out when we're there.. http://www.total.net/~wulfen/scn
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Subject: Picket Report Mesa AZ, 12/11/98
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP)
Date: 12 Dec 1998 01:08:52 GMT
Message-ID: 74sfn4$l8p$1@nnrp03.primenet.com
I stopped by on the way to work this AM and picketed from 7:30 to 8:15. Rush hour traffic was heavy, and there were NO Scienos to complain or "handle" me. This looks like a great way to get the message out. Better get up earlier OSA.
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Subject: Mesa AZ Picket: The handlers are baaaack
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP)
Date: 13 Dec 1998 05:22:37 GMT
Message-ID: 74viut$k31$2@nnrp03.primenet.com
I picketed from 9:30 to 10:30 this AM (12/12) The whole time, a puppet pattering jokester from out of town gabbed my ears off with inane threats and warnings about Keith Henson: I was next, etc. What a maroon!
The last two pickets (excluding my 7:30 AM surprise when no one was there) they have responded with a non-local handler.
Thanks for the confirmation that the pickets are hurting you BADLY, Co$.
There were only 4 cars in the lot this morning. $cientology is DYING.
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Subject: San Jose Picket Saturday
From: Keith Henson hkhenson@netcom.com
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1998 17:04:57 GMT
Message-ID: hkhensonF3v3G9.K5H@netcom.com
I am off to picket the San Jose org this morning from when I get there to about 12:45. They have been without pickets too long. At least one other well known SP will be picketing as well. If we get three or more, we might inflate the XENU.NET balloons, and I have some extra signs.
Keith Henson
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Subject: Re: Mesa AZ Picket: The handlers are baaaack
From: Keith Henson hkhenson@netcom.com
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1998 19:16:33 GMT
Message-ID: hkhensonF3x47L.8Hx@netcom.com
BP bpetty@primenet.com wrote:
: I picketed from 9:30 to 10:30 this AM (12/12) The whole time,
: a puppet pattering jokester from out of town gabbed
: my ears off with inane threats and warnings about
: Keith Henson: I was next, etc. What a maroon!
Interesting. Brent Stone and I picketed a couple of hours till about 12:45. This time we had a "handler" who talked with us for the whole time. My feeling is that a few more sessions like this and he will blow in spite of having been in 20 years. Sorry, so occupied I did not get a car count. Keith Henson
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Subject: Boston picket 12.16.98
From: stacy8@gte.net (Stacy Brooks)
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 03:12:09 GMT
Message-ID: 759sno$kcp$1@news-2.news.gte.net
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Bob faxed the Boston org prior to 2:00 this afternoon to let them know we'd be there for a picket sometime after 3:00, and then we headed for Kinko's to get the Samurai Bob photo printed out oversize for a picket sign. The sign turned out beautifully. Above the photo were the words "Set up fails" and at the bottom it said "Heads will roll." We thought that would make it clear enough to the scientologists that the photo was symbolic, not in any way meant to be taken literally.
Then Bob, Jesse, Grady and I headed for the org at about 3:30. Frank Ofman and Kevin Hall were waiting for us when we arrived. Kevin turned the video camera on and kept it trained on Bob the whole time we were there. It immediately became apparent that Kevin and Frank had orders to get Bob on videotape "admitting" that he had hit Frank first during the September 10 altercation that resulted in Bob's being arrested. Both Kevin and Frank repeated the same thing endlessly to Bob over and over and over again. Kevin would say, "Come on, Bob, why won't you just admit that you hit Frank first?" Bob would laugh and say, "I can't admit to something that never happened." Then Kevin would say, "Come on, Bob, you should apologize to Frank for hitting him and then lying about it."
Bob suggested that they go and get an E-meter and put him on the cans to prove that he was telling the truth about his version of the events on September 10. But Kevin and Frank weren't amused by his suggestion, nor were they amused by Bob's suggestion that I get them on the cans to check the truth of their version of events, since I'm a trained auditor.
Both Frank and Kevin insisted on repeating their demands to Bob so often that I finally stepped in and said, "Kevin, I saw the videotape and it was abundantly clear to me that you and Frank had orders to set Bob up for an assault charge." This was totally true: the videotape shows that Kevin and Frank verbally and physically assaulted Bob for several minutes before they finally knocked Bob's camera out of his hands and broke his picket sign over his head. They had been pushing him and screaming at him relentlessly up till then and it was clear to me that when Bob threw the broken piece of stick toward Frank he was defending himself against their assault. Bob then immediately pulled out his cell phone and called the police to report that he had been assaulted. As later events would show, I have no doubt that the court realized Bob had been assaulted rather than the other way around. It was clear to me that the district attorney realized the scientologists were not telling him the truth, and that this is why he was pushing for the charge against Bob to be dismissed.
Yesterday the scientologists sent a letter to the district attorney with a copy to the judge. Although it was signed by Frank Ofman, it was obviously written by one of scientology's attorneys -- Cooley or Kobrin are best bets. The letter was a deliberately distorted version of the events surrounding our picket yesterday - a picket in which Bob did not participate and which we conducted under the strict supervision of Bob's attorney to make sure we did nothing contrary to the judge's instructions. The letter was an attempt to get the judge to charge Bob with contempt for violating the terms of the agreement. If you want to see the text of the letter you can find it on alt.binaries.scientology or alt.binaries.misc. It's a classic example of scientology's slick, seductive manipulation of the truth.
We picketed for an hour this afternoon, and for nearly the entire time Kevin and Frank were trying everything they could to get Bob to say something incriminating on videotape, but Bob remained stubbornly amiable and ready to shake hands and be friends. As we were leaving, Frank Ofman finally did shake Bob's hand and wished him a merry Christmas, leading all of us to think there may be some hope that Frank will get out of this seductive, dangerous cult before he is damaged irreparably.
I was in the Guardian's Office and the Office of Special Affairs for eleven years and in all that time I never saw anyone targeted for elimination as relentlessly as Bob is being targeted by scientology. These OSA operatives are truly frightening in their determination to go after him, because they are so mindlessly following orders. Today I could see clearly that neither Frank nor Kevin have any cognizance of the kind of organization they are aiding and abetting and no amount of reasoned communication with either of them has any possibility whatsoever of getting through to them.
But we continue to hope that our picketing will have an educational effect on at least some of these scientologists or, if not on them, at least it will keep others from being seduced into scientology. At this point, however, it is obvious that the scientologists plan to take every opportunity to try to create an incriminating incident - not only involving Bob but any one of us they can possibly entrap. So be wary.
(Photos of today's picket can be found on alt.binaries.scientology and alt.binaries.misc.)
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Subject: Re: Boston picket 12.16.98
From: bob@minton.org (Robert S. Minton)
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 06:31:02 GMT
Message-ID: 3678a2ad.16453614@news.tiac.net
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On Wed, 16 Dec 1998 23:48:54 -0500, rnewman@thecia.net (Ron Newman) wrote:
> In article 759sno$kcp$1@news-2.news.gte.net, stacy8@gte.net wrote:
> > Bob faxed the Boston org prior to 2:00 this afternoon to let them know
> > we'd be there for a picket sometime after 3:00,
> Did the org fax Bob back as required by the court order? (And if they did,
> what did that return fax say?)
In short, NO reply to my fax.
Scientology could not have demonstrated more clearly its contempt for Judge Hershfang and the Boston Municipal Court and its orders by not responding or acknowledging my notice.
Obviously, in the event that an incident does occur at a noticed picket, such blatant disregard for the court's instructions will cause scientology to be forced to explain their continuing arrogance and contempt for the judicial process of this country.
Bob Minton
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Subject: Picket Report , Mesa AZ: UFO CULT
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP)
Date: 18 Dec 1998 02:46:00 GMT
Message-ID: 75cfl8$sj5$1@nnrp03.primenet.com
I like these pre-work pickets. They get me warmed up for the day, and the rush hour traffic is heavy, so lots of people see my signs.
Today I wore my UFO CULT signs, about 2 feet square with loops that hang them over my chest and back. The letters are 5 inches high, _very_ visible.
There were no cars at the bOrg when I arrived at 7:45. Lazy sleepers! I picketed undisturbed until 8:45, when three cars arrived just as I was leaving. I hope I started their day in the right (enturbulated) frame of mind.
I have folders on the front sign to hold flyers, and I gave away two to bicyclists.
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Subject: Picket Report, Mesa AZ: New OSA slogan for pickets?
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP)
Date: 19 Dec 1998 20:27:15 GMT
Message-ID: 75h273$1b2$1@nnrp03.primenet.com
The last two pickets, handlers have used the phrase "You are harming people of good will" to dissuade me; anyone else hearing this ?
We picketed from 11:30 to 12:30 today.
OSA maven Leslie Duhrman came out to photograph us and used The Phrase. There were 5 cars in the lot. At exactly noon, two people left in two cars. They looked right at us, but only smiled, as is to say "look at those poor, deluded, people." Hey, OSA, if we are supposed to be harming them, then shouldn't they look upset when they see us?? Put those people on _report_. I want to see real tears and looks of anguish from the people I harm- otherwise, what fun is it?
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Subject: Picket Report, Mesa AZ, 12/26/98 Whole Lotta Enturb Goin On
From: bpetty@primenet.com (BP)
Date: 27 Dec 1998 00:23:33 GMT
Message-ID: 763um5$9ph$2@nnrp02.primenet.com
Today we had 5 picketers!
Deana Holmes, who was visiting over the holidays, joined me and Kathy, Jeff Jacobsen and Steve W. in a picket from 11:00 to 12:00 today.
There were 2 handlers (welcome Jim and Kathy Bennet to the Mesa bOrg staff) and a new punk-type goon to take down our license plate numbers. I posted pictures on alt.binaries.scientology.
The license-plate taker asked me what crimes against the Co$ I was withholding: Hey, baby, if you don't know by now, don' mess wid it!
There were only 6 cars in the lot. Going down!
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Subject: Re: picket report, Mountain View & San Jose, 12/30/98
From: Keith Henson hkhenson@netcom.com
Message-ID: hkhensonF4vp36.87J@netcom.com
Nasty Mark stayed with me so I keep picketing till 12:45. Not only did he manage to pull in about twice as much picket, but he inspired me to finish the IRS suit which, with luck, will cost CoS "donation" status for courses and auditing. Keith Henson
Report by Kristi Wachter
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