Toronto ARSCC (wdne,eh?) Picket report--October 20th, 2001-from the Toronto Org.
21 Oct 2001
Kaeli <kaeli@klis.com>

Picketers: At the Org: Gregg, Kaeli, Zeratul
110 ft: Keith

We started our picket at around quarter to one. Keith took his customary position at 110 ft away from the Org, while, Gregg, Zeratul and I walked to the Org itself.

We saw the Isaac Hayes wannabe standing outside, with a grin on his face as we approached. He walked into the Org.

When Gregg began speaking, a woman shut the Org door in order not to hear Gregg speak.

Zeratul and I were on sign duty and contiuned walking around the Org. I noticed that a dark haired woman with long curly hair was on a cell phone, looking at us, then handed the cellphone to the Isaac Hayes wannabe, who was still staring at us with a grin on his face.

At 1:45pm we noticed two mounted police officers coming up the street and blocking off the connection to Yonge Street. They entirely and totally ignored us.

At around 2pm, during the picket, an antiwar protest came up St Mary street. We decided that we did not want to be associated with any political or even anti-war movement.

Gregg said, "we are here to picket the Cult of Scientology, that's it." So we stopped picketing, but stayed nearby the Org anyhow. Most of their signs read: "Global Mobilization for Social Justice" and "NDP" (Canadian socialist party.) We at first thought it was the OCAP, (Ontario Coalition Against Poverty), who have been known to use violent techniques against what they consider their enemies (during the last week, OCAP decided to shut down Toronto's financial district. Much of the weapons the police pulled away from them were extremely dangerous, including makings for Molotov cocktails.)

We noticed that Al Buttnor snuck out from the Org, and tried to mingle in with the antiwar protesters. As soon as the protest dispersed, it was noticed that the body routers were outside again, handing out flyers. We came back to our picketing positions again.

One of the body routers was the Isaac Hayes wannabe. Gregg asked him if he knew that Scientology supports apartheid. The man walked back in, saying, "Don't go there man" and took off quickly, into the back of the Org. Near the end of the picket, the three of us stood together, talking, when Al Buttnor came back again with a camera. I suddenly asked him, "Hey Al! Feel up any children lately?" He took off going north on Yonge Street, leaving the new president of the Org, a woman, standing alone to face us with her camera. Gregg asked her questions. Her lips were quivering and she looked like she was about to cry as she fled back into the Org.

We then ended our picket at 2:30pm.

It is fairly obvious they are acting terrorized in order to win public sympathy, especially at this time. Most of them would not come out and confront us, as they did so many times in the past. My feeling is that the Toronto Org is going to try some kind of dirty trick...however, they are expert at that department.

Kaeli.