12/2/97 -- 7:58 PM
Protest gets green light
By TED JACKOVICS and GEORGE CORYELL of The Tampa Tribune

CLEARWATER - The city has denied a request to ban anti-Scientology
protesters from certain downtown sidewalks.

Demonstrations are planned this weekend in front of the Church 
of Scientology's downtown retreat to protest the death of church 
member Lisa McPherson two years ago.

McPherson, a 36-year-old Scientologist, died after a two-week 
stay at the Fort Harrison Hotel. Her death is still under 
investigation.

The demonstrations will be the third anti-Scientology protest in 
Clearwater since March 1996.

The city will keep its downtown sidewalks open Friday and Saturday, allowing
demonstrations by church critics to take place, City Manager Mike Roberto said.
Roberto and Church of Scientology officials met late Tuesday afternoon, 
but the organization's request to close the sidewalks in front of the 
Fort Harrison Hotel was denied.

``We talked for quite a while and they expressed what their concerns 
were,'' Roberto said. ``We felt the sidewalks needed to stay open.''

The Scientologists have no plan for a counter- demonstration, spokesman 
Brian Anderson said.

Protesters describe themselves as part of a loosely affiliated 
movement of more than 100 people tied through the Internet.

The protesters, expected to number between 20 and 40, plan a 
candlelight vigil at 6:30 p.m. Friday and a demonstration between 
9:30 a.m. and noon Saturday across the street from the hotel.

``Scientologists can believe whatever they want,'' said protest 
organizer Jeff Jacobsen of Phoenix. ``Our goal is to get 
Scientology to stop hurting people. If they did that, we'd
go lie on the beach.''

Also scheduled Saturday in downtown Clearwater is a festival 
to commemorate the opening of the next-to-last link in the 
35-mile-long Pinellas Trail, which attracts 1 million
bicyclists, pedestrians and in-line skaters annually.

``There is not likely to be any integration of the two events,'' 
said Clearwater police spokesman Wayne Shelor.

Police will be using a ``zero tolerance'' policy toward 
protesters, members of the church and the media during 
Saturday's demonstration, said Shelor.

Police will meet with protesters and church officials on Friday 
and Saturday and remind them what is acceptable behavior.