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From: nobody@REPLAY.COM (Anonymous)
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
Subject: SF Org protest
Date: 10 Sep 1995 19:18:02 +0200
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Picket report 9 September 1995, San Francisco Org 10:45 AM to 4 PM
by "Jack Hoff"
I was the first to arrive with my stack of yellow 5 1/2 x 8 1/2
circulars at about quarter to eleven AM. There were a few
people, presumably scientologists, lounging around the front door of
the org smoking cigarettes; one fellow looked like a plainclothes
security person -- virtually shaved head in a suit -- who kept an eye
on everything going on. The traffic into and out of the org was
extremely modest, perhaps only half a dozen people per hour.
I started handing out the leaflets boldly printed with "SCIENTOLOGY:
HANDS OFF THE INTERNET!" with the pointers to a.r.s and Ron
Newman's WEB page, along with descriptions of a sampling of
criminal acts committed by scientologists and their cronies.
Within minutes a scientologist had one of my circulars and literally
ran into the org to give it to (presumably) Jeffrey George Quiros, the
chief OSA officer in the SF Org.
It was as if someone had swatted a wasp's nest. Scientologists and
sea org members (they really *do* wear those incredibly silly fake
Naval uniforms!) started coming out of the org to watch me. Another
bullet-head joined the first with an "at-ease" posture in front of the
door.
Then started a very bizarre game. As soon as I passed out a circular
to a passer-by -- the majority of whom seemed sympathetic or even
happy that I was picketing the criminal cult -- an orger in his
twenties would run after the person and tell them "you don't want to
read that, it's an attack on our religion!" and pull the circular out
from the confused fingers of the recipient. In at least one case, the
orders said "can I have that back?" before pulling back the circular
and throwing it away, implying that he was affiliated with me and
that he had made some kind of mistake. This was not the last
unethical act of the scientologists that day.
The cult values free speech for *themselves*, but NOT for others,
apparently.
The first few circulars were put into a large manila folder marked
prominently "EVIDENCE" that held by one of the bullet-heads.
I kept handing out the circulars, prefacing the handout with "We're
protesting the criminal cult of scientology" in order to get a sound
byte in even if the circular was later taken away. The mix of people
in front was light and a typical mix of almost-Tenderloin people,
which is to say a standard sampling of urban lifeforms. Only about a
third of the passer-bys met the standard demographic for "raw
meat."
Soon Quiros himself came out in an immaculate blue suit over white
shirt and what looked like a hand-painted silk tie. A pleasant looking
man in his forties, Quiros was by far the most talented orger in
keeping his cool and communicating the org party line to the public.
He came over to talk to me. I recognized him from his net gif and
greeted him with a "Hi Jeff!" This definitely enturbulated him to
know him on sight without reciprocation. I kept passing out
circulars while we chatted. He first wanted to know my name. I said
that I was "Hoff, Jack Hoff" Quiros acknowledged the joke (the
pseudonym used by Eugene Martin Ingram to steal from Grady Ward's
mother).
He kept pressuring me for my name, I told him that I wanted to have
him work for his rice and beans. He gave up and came back with a
small camera to snap my photo. I told him that he would be surprised
at the information that was stored on the net about him. More
enturbulation. He wrote out the name of the internet "task force"
which he said reported to him. Quiros is some kind of computer
professional, familiar with net services but not current or first-
hand. He said he had an e-mail address but demurred in giving it out,
fearing too much comm I guess. :-)
He denied knowing anything about Ingram, "Vera Wallace", "Chris
Miller", and only remembered Andy Milne when I pointed out his name
on the "Freedom" magazine masthead. I guess orgers like Quiros and
Jentzsch are not "clear" considering how unreliable their memories
are! :-) "We know nut-ing. Nut-ing!"
Another org member came out with an org 8 1/2 x 11 handout to
counter my circular. It had the usual rhetoric about "copyright
terrorists" and "Nazis" persecuting the "Jews" who were played of
course by the scientologists. Even as two org members bracketed me
with to pass out their circulars on either side of me, they taunted
me with "were getting more people signing up since you came" and
"pretty big protest, one whole person". Definitely not the most
intelligent or cutting taunts, to be sure. I did get a free "Freedom"
magazine and other cult literature, which is useful for the
photographs.
The acts of the orgers since my arrival belied their flip dismissals,
my presence seemed to really make the hive buzz! I guess they
thought they had a real Marcab agent in a human body right in front
of them. It really energized the scientologists. "Enemies" have a
crucial role in the criminal cult of scientology, apparently.
I did nothing to calm their paranoia. On the contrary I tried to fan it
by pointing out to Quiros my lapel microphone and that now I had a
writing sample and an extensive voice sample of his to digitize and
spam on the net. I suggested it would be funny to rearrange his
words to say something like "Scientologists....are....Nazis.
We....are....evil" as a satire. This suggestion DEFINITELY enturbulated
him. It's nice to know that the OSA types are sufficiently
brainwashed themselves to easily enhance and evoke a completely
predictable paranoid response with the proper preparation.
And Quiros was the least flappable of the whole sorry lot of them.
About noon several more net people showed with circulars and signs.
I'll let them identify themselves in their own posts. I stayed
anonymous .
The net people started picketing the org in earnest. This caused a
couple things to happen. First, Quiros came out and snapped photos
and asked for names. Secondly some org members started making up
their own signs to mix and confuse the passing cars and people.
Their signs read "Help Scientology Stop Internet Criminals",
"Scientology Saves Lives" and the like. Our signs read for example
"Alt.Religion.Scientology", "When will the "Church" pay Larry
$2,500,000?" The orgers bracketed us with the orange leafletters
(orange does stand out nicely in the urban grey), but people would go
out of their way to pick up our leaflets. Scientology is apparently
not much loved in the area.
Although virtually completely unorganized, the mix of net citizen
activity was good. Some brought circulars, some signs, some soda,
some video cameras; Shelley Thomson of "Biased Journalism"
showed up with her mini-recorder. We had the bases covered. The
moral here is just show up with whatever you feel comfortable
doing. Don't feel as if you have to carry a picket sign. Just standing
around chatting lends moral support.
I'll let the others' trip reports detail their role in the picket. I was
kept busy for the five hours with enough stuff that I didn't break out
my OT7 documents for my recital or my camera or other
enturbulating gear. The clams did hire a "video notary" who was
happy to get to work at $75 an hour on a weekend.
The high point for me was near four o'clock when a "suit" came out
of the org and confronted me. He said that I was "paid to enturbulate
the church". I asked him for proof I was paid. He said "why are you
attacking my religion?" I said "you said that I was paid to
enturbulate the church. Where is your proof, or are you a liar?"
He repeated "why are you attacking my religion" but I simply shouted
in his face that he was a bare-faced liar. A prospective raw meat
was standing nearby and I turned to tell him "you've just got a first-
hand demonstration of what kind of treatment you'll get with this
criminal cult." Big win.
After more shouting he finally turned tail and ran back into the org,
not to be seen again. Hint to orgers: don't baldly lie when there are
witnesses. This also made me happy to have worn a "wire" -- a Sony
Pressman microcassette recorder. I can prove that they took my
circulars away from people and prove the outright lying of some of
the less gifted orgers.
One fifteen-year-older in braces was interesting. Obviously a second
generation scientologist, she didn't utter a sentence that wasn't
pure clam-speak. Her fluency was weird and eerie.
However even she was easily enturbulated with random accusations
that she was "witholding overts against us" and other clam-codes.
One presumes that David Miscavige is equally vulnerable to clam-
speak bull-baiting.
My impression of the clams in person is that they are *easily*
provoked because of their paranoia and unadaptable belief system
and prejudices. This is to be noted. Even Quiros could be shaken by
demonstrating small "wins" in the intell area against him.
I think our taunts on the net are effective. Especially the ones which
turn Hubbard back on them. We could probably cause some of them to
self-referentially implode. I wish my tape hadn't run out as Quiros
said that the reason he didn't participate on a.r.s is that some
people, for example, call "Kobrin a cunt." I would have loved to .wav
this comment!
My overall impression is that the picket was successful, although
we didn't have a major newspaper or video crew tape us, we gained a
lot of physical solidarity by eyeballing other net people (definitely
cut above the average clam in wit). More importantly by seeing
really severe stout women in their sailor suits with gold braid and
the stereotyped "nattering" of actual physical cult members, the
message is really reinforced that this evil cult is *real* and
prospective recruits must be fully informed before making their
choice to join or not. I estimated that a good 80% of the people in
the org smoked cigarettes. Whew! I'm glad I didn't try to go inside.
Gag.
At four I took the muni back to the Larkspur ferry in Marin. A highly
recommended mode of transportation for people north of the Golden
Gate.
BTW if you picket BRING YOUR SUNSCREEN. I brought a hat,
sunglasses and good court shoes and was extremely glad I did.
A fun and successful day enturbulating the clams in San Francisco.
ÿ