August 21, 1999 - Wulfen
Base info:
Picketers: Me, Gregg, Gypsyblue, AndroidCat, Gorilla (the entheta being formerly known as Artemis), Deep Wog, and a newbie: Michael Argue, an ex-Scientologist. Granfalloon joined us at lunch, and brought us the usual theta goodies - he's another ex-member, and still is on the cult mailing list, so he brings his theta junk mail to people who actually want that stuff. :-)
Leaflets: 1350. No, I am not kidding. I photocopied 450 "No Science in $cientology"/"What Judges Say About $cientology" leaflets, intended as a two month supply, and a bunch of us gave away nearly all of those. As well, I gave away a few of the $cientology Can't Take Criticism/Scienositter leaflets, and Gorilla gave alway all of the Human Cost/$cn Costs a Mint leaflets I had left from previous pickets - conservative estimate on those is 150. Michael gave away 250 of his, which I shall web shortly. All my remaining "$cientology's Founder: Con Man"/"$cientology: Church of the Holy Censor" went into passerby's hands via Deep Wog ( - less than 50 of these), who had a hand in passing out other stuff too. The leaflets Gregg (RX Special Xenu and Canadian/Greek crimes, Gypsyblue and Gorilla gave away hundreds of these too) and AndroidCat (Roland's Scientology: Insane Cult, and a few of Gregg's) gave away made up the balance. We'd have made a higher count - except that Gypsyblue only passed out a bit over a hundred instead of her usual hundreds and hundreds (she was feeling a bit unwell). Of course, it's probably good that she didn't, we didn't carry too many more leaflets than these, and we would have had to pack up the picket early.
Oh, by the way... Our stupendously high leaflet counts are due to the fact that in Toronto, the Org is located on one of *the* major streets in the city, just up the road from one of *the* major intersections in the city. However, despite this fantastic opportunity to sell Scientology to the masses, the cult is as unpopular in Toronto as it is anywhere. :-)
Car count: I dunno... Too many car parks to count! If you wanna car count, come up here and do it yourself... ;-)
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Without further ado, here's how my day went (Note - quotes may not be 100% exact, but I got them pretty damn close):
Got up too early, was picked up by Gregg (it's easier than public transit, hey), and we spent the car ride into downtown snickering at the various excesses of the cult (you could almost smell our BT's being restimulated). After a short breakfast at McDonald's (which was actually good, wow), we sat in our usual spot and waited for the hordes of picketers to show up.
Surprise number one - nobody showed up.
Well, all these people said they'd come to the picket - but being computer programmers and their ilk (*snicker*, it's an Andy Hill joke already) they sleep in late. So, Gregg and I got suited up - we practically clank with all the stuff we wear - and headed over to the Org. Who should we meet but Andy Hill - and his comment of "Hello, ladies" about set the tone for the upcoming picket.
There wasn't a police officer in front of the Org, so we started picketing. Then, lo and behold, the off-duty (hours paid for by the cult, *ka-ching*) police officer appeared, so I went and introduced myself. A Scientologist was already there, and she stopped talking to the police officer when I wandered over - I wonder what she was saying to the officer that she didn't want me to hear? ;-) I introduced myself and Gregg, and then went away to do some picketing. Michael Argue turned up shortly, and I brought him back to the police officer to introduce him. The police officer asked that I come back after he'd finished chatting to the Scientologist - boy that took awhile - and we just went back to picketing.
When I got the police officer's time I introduced myself, and asked that he keep a tight lid on the picket, and if there were any problems whatsoever could he jump in, ie don't let things develop. His comment was just that we picketers should behave - hey, don't we always?
Over the next few hours, the rest of the picketers trailed in (lazy gits, why I oughta...). Gorilla took many leaflets and went across the road to spread out our picketing presence, and AndroidCat stayed around the Org.
Andy Hill turned out to have something in common with the police officer - both "fight fans" as Andy put it. They spent hours discussing many things about various pugilistic arenas. Keeps Andy Hill out of our hair, anyway...
Dan and other Scientologists were all over Michael Argue for the early part of the morning, with side comments to us. Apparently it confirms what they know about us picketers, having a declared SP coming out to join us. Michael was remarkably civil to them, considering what he's had to put up with (wouldn't you be pissed if you'd been declared a two-percenter by a bunch of people who couldn't even hit 1.1 on their high days?). Apparently Dan and the others think that Michael showing up with us just continues his slide into depravity.
I got the usual thumbs up and other smiles, waves, and enthusiasm for passers-by. A couple even handed back their leaflets, saying that they'd read the leaflets but didn't actually like the cult before they read those leaflets. Many of the people who refused leaflets made it known that they already didn't like the cult.
We picketers had our usual problems, too. Constantly bumping into each other with our signs, tripping over that blasted no parking sign in front of the (Org. People park there anyway, so can't it be taken down or moved?) Also, people were sometimes reluctant to take our leaflets - until they ascertained that we weren't pro-Scientology. Amazing how often that happens. :-)
Even though it was morning, traffic was pretty high - probably contributing to our high leaflet count. Gregg had also changed his pitch from "What Scientology doesn't want you to know" to "What the cult doesn't want you to know", which probably raised his leaflet count. The Scientologists were flyering up a storm, too - although the usual amount of those went in the garbage or onto the street. I did see one of our leaflets in the garbage - surrounded by theta flyers. Hey, even the trash should get both sides of the story.
Just before lunch, I had an interesting conversation with a young lady who'd been into the Org, seen the Orientation film, and taken the personality test. She was mildly surprised when I accurately called the next step in the cult sales pitch, which is to show her the areas that Scientology could (could not, in non-cult parlance) help her with, and that she should sign up for a course.
This young lady also mentioned that while she was sitting in the little room that she was being interviewed in, she could hear people in the other offices (according to her the walls there were *very* thin) talking - about how to get people to sign up for courses, and other high-pressure sales techniques.
Then, the conversation turned *really* interesting (as if it wasn't before). The young lady mentioned that she was a practicing Christian (United Church of Canada). According to her, she was told that Scientology was compatible with Christianity (big surprise). I explained to her that while many Scientologists believe this, Hubbard actually taught that "there was no Christ" and other things, including God and the Devil being a part of the R6 Alien Mind Implant (basically what I told Xinjia Yi Lu in another thread on this NG). This young lady started getting angry! She was *really* mad that Scientology was being dishonest about this. I did stress, however, that the Scientologist doing the interview very likely believed what they were saying, and that she was likely a good person.
Apparently the young prospect I was chatting with (prospect no longer, though, fortunately for her faith) also had a hard time getting out of the Org - it took her four hours from film to leaving. She said that she didn't really want to be rude or abrupt (my description of what she said, not her words) with the Scientologist who was nice and polite. And as I told her, it is pretty hard to say to someone who means so well that you're not interested in what they have to say...
This young lady also gave the cult her real name and address, and is now getting junk mail from them. I told her that we picketers would gladly take this thetaCrap off her hands - maybe we'll see her at the October picket, with a big fistful of thetaSpew. :-) She got a few leaflets, and wandered off down the street.
We broke for lunch, and went across the road. Guess who showed up - Peter Ramsay! He had, um, *presents* for Gorilla and AndroidCat - copies of letters sent to their employers about their critical activities, with the usual cult lies and smears. Gorilla tried to refuse it, but Ramsay just left the letter laying on the street. I picked it up (hey, I *like* this stuff. Sosumi) and will scan it and give copies to Gregg (lawsuit material a la Bonnie Woods) and the police (we all want a record of what the cult did should anything *really* bad happen to us picketers).
Then, we met up with Granfalloon. He and Michael determined that though they were at the Org at different times, they shared mutual acquaintances. Michael, I think, was pretty suspicious at first of Granfalloon's "I was an ex-member" claim - if you're an ex-member, you can probably relate to his reasons why (as he related it, having Scientologists calling you up claiming to have left the cult and trying to pump you for info).
Granfalloon gave me his latest unwanted Scientology junk mail - it's here that we got the info that Gorilla (aka Alan Barclay) posted about the cult having one Clear Certainty Rundown graduate - since delivery of this rundown started in Toronto. When did they start spreading this one?
We actually got through lunch on time, after loads of laughter reading Michael Argue's SP declare and other thetaSpew. Gregg made it back (he took a break in the morning for an appointment back in Oakville) with sound samples (and he took pictures) of the cult counter-picket. More lawsuit material - Bonnie Woods, you don't know the extent of what you've started. We Scientology cult critics in other Commonwealth countries thank you. :-)
When we headed back after lunch, we found that all the Scientologists who'd been there in the morning had gone - we only had two or three handlers. Al Buttnor was there, but lurked at the back of the Dianetics Foundation. Hey, why can't he hand out leaflets like the rest of the Orgies? But then, we nearly never see Sea Orgers either...
Then, Gregg saw Ramsay walking across the street, and got pretty excited... Turned his "I can broadcast across the sidewalk" voice into his "I can broadcast across the road" voice... Things like "There's the man who intimidated my brother!" and "There's the man who scared my parents". It confused the passers-by, made Ramsay snicker (the man has no compassion, truly), made the rest of the cultists frown, got knowing nods from us picketers, and got the police officer into peace-keeping action for the first time all picket. I hurried forward to hear what the police officer had to say to Gregg... I heard "...don't create a disturbance." However, according to Gregg later, this comment in its entirety was, "No matter how much fun you're having, don't create a disturbance." I was glad to see the officer on top of things, although I would have welcomed the opportunity to explain to him exactly what Ramsay has done to make Gregg love the man so...
The rest of the afternoon was pretty standard - leaflets flying out by the dozen, and my backpack with all my extra leaflets getting lighter and lighter every twenty minutes (Gorilla's average time between refills). Deep Wog asked for more Con Man leaflets, but I was out - so he gave out some of my new Criticism leaflets.
One last time, Gorilla asked for more flyers - and I didn't have any more. So, we went to Gregg - who had also run out of leaflets. AndroidCat came up and waved a small fistful of RX Specials - all he had left. Given that it was 4:51 by that time (picket runs until 5:00), we just called the picket.
Had a quick "thanks for keeping right on top of things" chat with the police officer, who's answer was "thanks for behaving". I said, "Well, I try". Naturally, the Scientologist on the camera had to interject one last snarky remark: "We know you try, Chris". With that, we adjourned to the pub for our usual informal picket windup.
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Asides:
Apparently Dan the Scientologist would physically take on a critic away from a picket situation (read what AndroidCat wrote in response to Andy Hill's very theta picket report). AndroidCat said he could take Dan with half his BT's tied behind his back. Unfortunately, I couldn't... Instead of muscle I have brains. :-) So if I meet an aggressive Scientologist anywhere in Toronto, I'll have to use the Sir Robin "running away and buggering off" tech. Hey, if I run far enough, do you think I could lead the cultist right to a police station? ;-)
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Over the year and a bit that I've been picketing, my equipment has grown by increments. Here's what I carry and wear, as of yesterday (I started with a sign and an envelope of flyers):
Picket sign (with a modular design, roughly based on Bob Minton's
sign).
Picket sign holder/bracer, to leave one hand free for leaflets. The
bottom of the stick on my sign rests in this.
Hip pack with a tape recorder (it does *not* ride over my 'fanny').
Entheta Kit (satchel bag with assorted leaflets, picket ID badges,
picket rules, etc).
Backpack, containing hundreds of extra leaflets and miscellaneous
supplies.
ID badge, to separate the entheta beings from the theta beings (ie the
men from the former bivalves, *snigger*).
If I were wearing medieval armour equivalent to this lot, I'd probably clank or something...
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Peter Ramsay. Nuff said. Hasn't the cult learned *anything AT ALL* from the Bonnie Woods case??? Apparently not, judging from how Ramsay acts (and Al Buttnor, if experience and Canadian court cases be the judge). I wonder if he yet realizes just how much trouble he could get Scientology into? If not, the next few months should prove interesting... Stay tuned.
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The camera guy in the afternoon? Michael mentioned that he came to Canada to avoid the Vietnam draft in the US. Pity he had to then fall into Scientology, but congrats to him on missing the Vietnam mess. :-)
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Michael described the OT8 they're using on the Freewinds to me - he said he was told this by an OT8 who actually took the course on the Freewinds. When he mentioned what he was told, I said I'd read it... The document he was describing is webbed here (although I'd like to note that the cult doesn't claim ownership of this one):
http://www.xs4all.nl/~kspaink/fishman/ot8b.html
Of course, I should point out that this information is generations old - the person who saw it tells someone else who tells me who tells you. So, you're getting third-hand information - do with it as you please.
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Anyhow, that's about it - but before I sign off I'd like to mention that the next few Toronto anti-Scientology picket dates are:
Saturday September 11 1999
Saturday October 16 1999
Saturday November 20 1999
Saturday December 4 1999
You can see the rest of the picket stuff here:
http://www.total.net/~wulfen/scn/picket.html
And here:
http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Spa/8412/picket.html
Hope to see you there. :-)