August 16, 1997 - Gregg Hagglund

Toronto Ontario Canada
August 16, 1997.
2pm to 4:30 pm

Toronto Picket #4 Report.

Another total surprise event caught the Toronto Org completely unprepared with senior staff unavailable or absent for our initial appearance.

Particularily upsetting for Mr. Al Buttnor was the silent, dignified presence on our picket, of Nan Maclean, Toronto Orgs arch foe and victim of over 17 Co$ lawsuits. Nan may not voice criticism or help in anti-Cos court cases apparently due to a 'peace settlement' some time ago, but to the chagrin of Buttnor and senior org members Nan is able to utilise a Picket as an expression of her situation with impunity. Appropriately Nan Maclean carried a sign stating "Scientology persecutes and harrasses critcs".

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Our Picket started on time and we were at immediate Cause over the Org.

Our Picket Staff consisted of six Picketers: Myself, Nan Maclean, Artemis, Cerebrus, Burbank, V-Tech and a remote observer called Othello.

Plus the approximately 400 citizens who picked off 250 Xenu flyers and 250 DYIN'ETHICS Pamphlets. ( Some wanted both.)

When we first showed the Org door was open, no display was on the street and the only visible Co$ staffer of note was Mr .Yukayuk. A very poor colour tv monitor was in the front window displaying the "Animal" New Slant Ad and the sound track of same was playing at conversation level on an exterior speaker.

As soon as I launched into my standard crowd harangue outside the org door panic ensued. Our observer reported "numerous frantic back and forth activities inside the Org and several phones in use as the Org tried to marshal their forces". The first action they took was to close the front door which on a day with a Humidex of 96 F was tantamount to cruel and unusual punishment.

As usual we were welcomed by the passersby with open smiles and general public approval, plus uncountable car horn acks, thumbs ups, encouraging comments, etc.

After about 30 minutes the org staff were forced to open the door and try to counter our presence. A lame attempt at sending a Co$ pamphleteer upstream and downstream from us and from the front of the org didn't pan out. Most of the passersby were locals and chose to ignore or sidestep org staff.

By three oclock the org had abandoned pamphleteers and some familiar faces were appearing to take photos and videotape us.

At this point they noticed something very different about this picket.

No on site police cover.

They turned up the sound on the exterior speaker so that it was loud enough to drown out normal conversation and attempt to overwhelm my harangue.

I approached Mr Yukayuk (who thrust a tape recorder in my face, a new and standard practice for the day) and I informed him that I considered the overloud playing of the "Animal" ad sound track to constitute an attempt to interfere with our information Picket and that if this was not addressed shortly then the consequence would be the use of Bull Horns on our next Demonstration, as was our Right. Mr. Yukayuk seemed to think this statement was a great victory and some sort of threat.

He did not have the sound level lowered.

I started watching for a passing Police Cruiser in order to flag one down and have the sound problem addressed. In the meantime I countered by going to Tone 40 and planting myself on the section of sidewalk in front of the Org door. They closed the door. I moved away. They opened the door. I came back. They closed the door. I moved away. etc.

After playing 'door tag' for 15 minutes while watching for the MP, I saw Al Buttnor put in his belated appearance.

When he saw and recognised Nan Maclean I feared for his health. He turned beat red and hurried into the Org. Moustache Man came out and tried to Pamphleteer. I repeated to him my warnings about the sound and he ignored me.

Nan Maclean, in her 70s, all 5' 2" of her, marched up and down in silence, carrying her placard and under constant visual photo and video surveillance. It was hot and humid and we had brought a directors chair for her to use to take breaks on and set it up in the shade. She never used it. She spoke only to Picket staff and *never* offered any conversation or comment to anyone else. She had insisted that I point out her "silenced" condition to the passersby whenever the opportunity arose, and I did. Every stoic step she took traversing the 50 feet of the org front was a silent slam into the heart of the org.

There will be a lot of KRs written because of the next part of this report. Sec checks and Ethics too.

At about 3:30 I called Ted Mayett in Vegas, as arranged, to give a live Picket Report for IRC. As I started talking to him I was in the 'quiet' area beside the org. About 20 org staff chose that time to take a Smoke Break. In moments I was surrounded by 'steaming clams'. I filled Ted in on what was going on and about the noise from the speakers and that next time we would escalate to Bull Horns. Just then I spotted a MP Cruiser so I finished off with Ted and tried to flag the cops down.

The cops went past me and pulled someone over for a traffic infraction about 100 meters down the block. So I dog trotted down to make my complaint. They said they would check on it after they finished with the motorist. ( They never did.) Then I walked back to the Picket and the 'Steaming Clams'.

*****At that moment the sound was cut by two thirds, and down to a reasonable level. And suddenly I could quite clearly hear what all the 'steamers' were talking about: Nan Maclean and who was she and what was the 'big stir' and what were her crimes and she didn't look like an SP and why didn't somebody DO something about the Picketers and Nan, etc.***** (Happy writing folks! I got shots of all of you that I'll put up on my site so the OSA knows who to put the screws too. Wonderful 'Church' huh?)

Then my Cell phone rang. It was Ted. He said he had called the org and asked for Buttnor. He told me he had identified himself to Buttnor and mentioned that I had talked to Ted shortly before and I was going to complain to the Cops on the sound. Buttnor had hung up on him. And then cut the sound level.

We were at TOTAL CAUSE OVER THE ORG.

And Buttnor knew it.

[Thanks Ted! I'll buy you a cookie sometime!]

Buttnor also was visibly nonplussed about Nan's presence and he obviously noted that we had no Police cover.

So the Org tried another tactic. They planted themselves around and about the sidewalk with tape recorders trying to catch every word we said. Two Vieographers and two cameras too. All male staff. They sent clams they thought we did not know to ask us leading questions, but this did not work because of verbal tactics we use to reveal such agenting.

Al planted himself at my favourite spot for harangueing the crowds and kept in my periphery, tape recorder at the ready. He looked very unhappy.

I felt sorry for him and I said quietly to him that he was watching Cos dying from the 'Death of Thousand Cuts". He thought this was important and a threat so he asked me to repeat that and thrust his tape recorder in my face. I said," You are watching part of the Death of a Thousand Cuts for Scientology Al. The Death of a Thousand Cuts being an analogy for all the uncountable acts of criticism and picketing happening all over the world by concerned goverments and independent outraged citizens, against the anti-social management of the CoS. Either the management would change or the Co$ would be eventually bled to death by the spread of critical information." ( Or words to that effect.)

He snapped off his recorder and I then asked him how his court case was going and did he think he would be RPF'd at the Fort Homicide or out at Hemet?

He stomped off into the org.

It was now 4:15 and the Org tried one last tactic.

They hauled out their E meter table in front of the org in the sleight alcove there and tried a little body routing. Yukayuk managed to snag a passerby into conversation. I walked over and asked the Passerby if he wanted to know just how much the CoS wanted adherents to pay for a cheap voltmeter.

At the same I was asking this Yukayuk was speaking into his tape recorder saying I was harrassing him. But I was on the sidewalk and so was the mark. Yukayuk pulled out a chair for the mark and told me not to interfere. But the chair was on the sidewalk and so was the mark and so I kept talking.

This is when things abruptly got tense. Very tense.

The 'Nazi' Sea Orger jumped into my face. We were literally nose to nose, except I had a few inches in height. He shouted at me that I was interfering with their business.

I noticed several things and thought things all at the same time. I noticed thay Yukayuk had his tape thrust forward to catch everyword. I noticed another Sea Orger videotaping the scene. I noticed Al, inside the org watching intently with a small grin and that he was standing on the balls of his feet, ready to move.

I thought this Sea Orger was going to strike me. I was wearing my glasses and I aborted a hand move to take them off, for I felt he would certainly take that as an excuse to strike.

So I used my voice. Point Blank I tone 40'd right into his face," the chair is on the sidewalk and therefore I can talk to this guy", (who had by this time beaten a hasty retreat) "and I have the right to speak freely Mister, and if you have a problem with that then you have a *real* problem, because like it or not 'wog'law rules over Scieno law. Especially in this country, get it?"

He didn't answer and for a moment we kept the Tableau. He was staring fixedly at me from about three inches away. So I said" Are you trying to use TRs on me? Ok, let us see just who can stare the longest". (I am told at this point that every org member in sight was watching this confrontation and so were the Picketers and many curious passersby.)

The staring match lasted about a count of five and then the 'Nazi" Sea Orger blinked. "FLUNK!" I tone 40'd and he actually turned his head away. "AGAIN!" I snapped in my best parade ground command and he engaged me again. But he only lasted about another 5 seconds and he blinked. "FLUNK!" I yelled. But before I could challenge him again Yukayuk chips in, " OK, we have enough on tape, we got what we want, its over lets go in" And the Sea Orger stepped back.

Yeah, Right Yukayuk. Al sent your crack guy in a setup you were hoping for and he failed. Not once, but twice, he lost (in a very visible to org staff match up) against an SP. Nice try at saving face for your buddy, but it was obvious that I was at cause over the 'Nazi' Sea Orger.

It was 4:20 and Nan announced she was going to take a coffee break at the shop across the sidestreet adjacent to the org. Her constant shadow, Cerebrus was to go with her. They joined Othello, our observer. They were also stalked by a clam agent who parked himself 'nonchalantly' at the next table. I saw this from across the street. I also knew that Nan had noticed him and I hoped, very much, that he was dumb enough to be carrying a tape recorder. I later determined he was not.

We pulled the plug a few minutes later at 4:30, even tho' we had the rights to go to 5, because of the imminent threat of rain. Also I was very shaky about the confrontation which had just passed. I think I was justthisclose to getting pummelled. I don't think they were trying to set me, in particular, up. Any of the picketers would have done. I am sure that all of those on my picket would have taken the punch and not retaliated or they would, given the opportunity, have overcome the TRs of that Sea Orger themselves.

From now on I will refer to the 'Nazi' Sea Orger as the 'Wimpy' Sea Orger.

I will be filing an official complaint with the Metro Police for the interferences with our lawful peaceful demonstration, by individual Toronto Org members, using sound and physical intimidation.

Any criminal act committed by a member of the Church of Scientology for the benefit of the Church of Scientology is, in Canada, deemed to be a criminal act OF the Church of Scientology.

*****This was very much Nan's picket.*****

Her personal strength and that of all of her family over the years, in resisting the fascist machinations of the CoS is inspirational. She has had her victories and her defeats and she has survived.

Today was another victory for Nan.

The rest of us were just along for the ride, while she personally "Belled the Co$".

I am proud to call her: friend.