Alt.religion.scientology Week in Review
Volume 4, Issue 47
03/05/00
by Rod Keller
rkeller@voicenet.com
copyright 2000

Contents

1. Battlefield Earth
2. CCHR
3. Denmark
4. France
5. Germany
6. Grady Ward
7. Italy
8. Lisa McPherson
9. Protest Summary
10. Kelly Preston
11. Lisa McPherson Trust

Alt.religion.scientology Week in Review summarizes the most significant postings from the Usenet group Alt.religion.scientology for the preceding week for the benefit of those who can't follow the group as closely as they'd like. Out of thousands of postings, I attempt to include news of significant events, new affidavits, court rulings, new contributors, whatever. I hope you find it useful. Like many readers of a.r.s, I have a kill file. So please take into consideration that I may not have seen some of the most significant postings.

The articles in A.r.s Week in Review are brief summaries of articles posted to the newsgroup. They include message IDs for the original articles, and many have a URL to get more information. You may be able to find the original article, depending on how long your site stores articles in the newsgroup before expiring them.

Free A.r.s Week in Review subscriptions are available, just email me at

http://wpxx02.toxi.uni-wuerzburg.de/~krasel/CoS/ars-summary.html

http://www.xenu.net/archive/WIR/

http://www.religio.de/publik/arsfaq.html

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Battlefield Earth

"[H]ere's an early warning: There may be a 'Battlefield Earth' doll that calls your wee tots 'ratbastard.' That's right, we won't say it again. We will just refer to it from here on out as the not-so-nice 10-letter word. This bit of news come from Dan Cox, a staff writer at Daily Variety in New York, who said the not-so-nice 10-letter word is spouted by an 11-inch action figure of John Travolta, who plays the evil Terl in 'Battlefield Earth,' set to open May 12. Even odder is that this not-so-nice 10-letter word isn't used once in the first 500 pages of the Thousand-page Battlefield Earth sci-fi novel by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. Instead, the alien Terl is constantly calling the human hero, Jonnie Goodboy Tyler, 'rat brain.'"

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CCHR

"Awarded were Mrs. Patti Johnson, a member of the Colorado State Board of Education; Ms. LeAnna Washington, a Pennsylvania State Representative, and Mrs. Elvira Manthey, a survivor of psychiatry's Nazi child euthanasia program in Germany during WWII. Golden Globe Award Winning actress Jenna Elfman presented the award to Mrs. Johnson for her courageous work in organizing the Colorado State Board of Education's Resolution in November last year. The Resolution acknowledged documented incidents of highly negative consequences from psychiatric drugs, and urged school personnel to use proven academic solutions rather than drugs to resolve behavior, attention and learning difficulties.

"Presented the award by Grammy Award Winning musician and actor, Isaac Hayes, Rep. Washington said: 'The effects of psychiatric drugs on children have been catastrophic, depriving them of proper medical assessment which could pinpoint underlying, untreated physical complaints that may be effecting behavior, denying them necessary tutoring, and sentencing them to a drugged euphoria that can result in violence.' In December, 1999, Rep. Washington was instrumental in the National Caucus of Black State Legislator's call for a national investigation to be held into 'the use of all psychiatric drugs and their effects on children in this nation.'

"Emmy Award Winning actress, Michelle Stafford introduced Mrs. Elvira Manthey. In 1938, at the age of 7, Elvira Hempel was incarcerated in Uchtspringe psychiatric institution. She was institutionalized along with her 3 year old sister, Lisa, which was allowed under Germany's Hereditary Act. As their father had been branded a 'lazy worker,' psychiatrists concluded his children were a 'public danger, congenitally feebleminded, abnormal, hereditarily diseased and ineducable.'"

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Denmark

"A group of Scientology parents in Copenhagen feel heavily discriminated against, since they can't get public subsidy for their child care. They want to have their children raised in the spirit of Scientology, in that the teachers follow a 'child philosophy' developed by the founder of the movement, L. Ron Hubbard. Since the city is giving contributions to Rudolf Steiner-preschools or Christian child institutes, it should also be possible to get subsidies for a Scientology preschool, the parents say, but the City of Copenhagen says no. The city district rejects the Scientology preschool Little Spring, since it fears that the children will be forced into following the ideology of the movement. According to the city district rejection, the problem is that Scientology does not promote qualities such as 'openness, tolerance and respect for others'.

"Individual Scientology parents can circumvent this decision by applying for a personal subsidy for private child care. This is still accepted by Valby city district, but that may soon change. The City of Copenhagen itself does not want to give any subsidies at all, and therefore the battle will be taken to the National Social Board."

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France

"A blue-ribbon government panel studying what French officials define as 'sects' has concluded that the faith, founded by the late U.S. science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, is a 'vast enterprise of transnational character' with its own private police force run clandestinely from the United States. 'They have a clear strategy of infiltrating and of trying to influence the state, and the will to do it,' said Denis Barthelemy, a career magistrate serving as secretary-general of the panel, the Interministerial Mission on Combating Sects. 'This goes beyond being an ordinary pressure group. For the internal security of the state, we are afraid.'

"In the report to Prime Minister Lionel Jospin published this month, the panel contends that Scientology is, in fact, a moneymaking venture. The report goes to the extraordinary length of proposing the dissolution here of Scientology and another religious group, the Order of the Solar Temple, which lost 74 members to murder-suicides in France, Switzerland and Canada between 1994 and 1997.

"Some former Scientologists agree. 'I was turned into a robot,' said Mona Vasquez, a 40-year-old Frenchwoman who spent seven years in the organization. 'They made me leave my studies, my boyfriend, my family.' French authorities maintain that they are not attacking religious beliefs, which are protected by law, but illegal conduct. Leaders of France's Scientologists indignantly deny the charges against them. They plan to issue a detailed rebuttal. 'These are total hate campaigns,' Gounord said. 'We are people who obey the law.'

"The French report makes special mention of Scientology's Office of Special Affairs, which it labels a private police. Stacy Brooks, a former member now working with an anti-Scientology organization in Clearwater, Fla., described the OSA as a dirty-tricks squad that targets the church's critics. 'I know all about these people,' Brooks said. 'They tried to smear and harass me and my husband after I left in 1989.' Karin Pouw, spokeswoman for the Church of Scientology International, called Brooks a 'liar for hire.' Pouw, a member of the OSA, said the office functions as a 'public affairs office.'"

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Germany

"Windows 2000 is a buggy product. The new operating system contains 65,000 errors. A quarter of corporations will have a problem running its programs; the U.S. intelligence service and Scientology participated in its development. Besides that it hurts competition. This is not being asserted by critics and competitors of the giant from Redmond, but by the Microsoft developer itself right at the start of the 'kick-off event' for its latest show at Cebit. By listing off these accusations, it is trying to make them look ridiculous."

The Germany government will evaluate the security of the software, according to Heise, on February 15th.

"The Federal Office for Security in Information Technology (BSI) may take a glance at the source code of Windows 2000. Microsoft had bought a Windows 2000 component from a company which supports Scientology. Fears were expressed in that connection that the software contained a possible back door which could be used to reveal the contents of the hard drive without authorization. Microsoft stated that it was now prepared to have the source of the software in dispute reviewed by the BSI. After the source code is reviewed, the BSI will issue an opinion about possible risk from the defragmentation software."

>From Sueddeutsche Zeitung on February 19th:

"The Bavarian Interior Ministry had asked for a comprehensive analysis of Microsoft's Windows 2000 operating system from the Federal Office for Security in Information Technology after it was revealed that a portion of the software for that program had been delivered by Executive Software International. Executive Software belongs to professed Scientologist Craig Jensen. Therefore users in Germany expressed concern that Windows 2000 users could be spied upon by Scientology.

"In October 1995, the Interior Ministry put a list of measures into effect which was supposed to prevent the state from giving contracts to companies which were under Scientology's influence. Since then, companies who bid for state contracts must sign 'security statements' in which they verify that they do not operate according to the principles of the psycho-business founded by Ron Hubbard. The Microsoft corporation, however, is not affected by this list of measures, said Ziegler, 'We cannot demand security statements from all the sub-contractors.'"

Frankfurter Neue Presse reported on February 29th that a What is Scientology exhibit has opened in Frankfurt.

"Friendly, smiling people in smart clothes, yellow and white tulips on the tables, clean, white tablecloths. The Scientologists are back in the city. Practically unnoticed, they opened their controversial 'What is Scientology?' exhibition in the Schirn Cafe yesterday. Only a few posters and direction signs directed the barely 100 adherents to the spaces on Roemerberg. The three days in the Frankfurt art building was said to have cost them 45,000 marks. Many did not at all want to talk about the theme of Scientology and preferred to hang back.

"Wall displays with sect goals and texts, history and biography of the founder Ron L. Hubbard, deceased in 1986, and video presentation awaited the visitors. Georg Stoffel, Scientology press spokesman in Munich, wanted to communicate the organization's texts and teachings first-hand with the exhibition. 'This was not a good idea,' thinks a visitor from Wiesbad, who also wanted to keep his name to himself so that nobody he knows will speak to him about it. 'I condemn the people who believe in this sect.'

"One of the things to see is the so-called 'e-meter,' which can allegedly measure thought with the help of electrodes. However, the thoughts of passers-by cannot be read with it. Not even those of the 23-year-old student, Katharina, 'One cannot form a picture of Scientology by going to its adherents. For that you should ask those who are acquainted with the negative side.'"

>From Frankfurter Neue Presse on February 26th:

"The controversial Scientology Organization wants to advertise its goals from Monday to Wednesday in the Cafe of the Frankfurt Schirn Art Building. The contract had been agreed upon by the Cafe's lessee, Klaus-Peter Kofler. Kofler himself could not be reached on Friday to get his opinion. Scientology will pay Kofler 45,000 marks rent for the three days. The Frankfurt Superintendent for Schools, Education and multi-cultural opportunities, Jutta Ebeling (Greens) criticized the gastronome for his conduct in an open letter; 'this sect was being made presentable' and that it was advertising its 'cynical tricks' while she, Ebeling, was doing everything 'to hinder access of sects to youth.'

"A letter of protest to Kofler was also written by Frankfurt's Director of Culture, Hans-Bernhard Nordhoff (SPD). He said he learned of the arrangement at the Schirn Cafe 'with great dismay.' 'The Schirn Art Hall and the neighboring cafe understandably appears as a unit in the public picture; gatherings in your Cafe will therefore always be identified with our renowned art hall,' wrote Nordhoff."

Suedwest Presse reported on February 22nd that Renate Wartweg made a presentation on Scientology at the Illertisser College of School Brothers.

"Before about 500 people, Renate Hartwig showed that she was very happy that young people were so intensely involved with the theme. She said that gave her hope that her struggle against the sect had not been in vain. Her work was based on a painful experience in 1988: she and her husband had lost their company indirectly because of the organization. For years Scientology tried to silence her through lawsuits, gossip and other methods. Renate Hartwig clearly answered the question of whether Scientology was a church, a sect or a religion: 'It operates as nothing other than a business syndicate with a Mafia-like structure and claims to potentially great political power.'

"Many company chiefs let themselves be bought off with statements that their staff are not members of Scientology. This, said Hartwig, meant absolutely nothing, because Scientologists may lie when it is in the interests of their organization. With methods which were sometime clumsy, yet effective, people were being recruited. As an example, Hartwig gave a survey by mail whose title sheet included a picture of Albert Einstein and the famous quote that people use, at most, only ten percent of their brain. Anybody who wanted to know more was asked to answer 200 questions. The mass mailing was soon following by calls requesting to drop off the survey results. It was said that the results were so bad, that they could not trust the postal service with them. That resulted in often expensive seminars for 'Personality Structure Improvement' - a first step into dependency, she said."

Holsteinischer Courier reported on February 23rd that the Junior Business Association Holstein has decided to change their charter to exclude Scientologists.

"Scientologists try to gain ground especially in motivation training, personnel consulting, continuing education and real estate, said IHK association director Peter Dohm. In conjunction with the North Elbe Church, a letter was drafted by which Junior Business members would have to state if they were members of Scientology. Young business people and management employees who are between 27 and 40 years old can join."

Der Tagesspiegel reported on February 25th that Scientology has filed for access to government files.

"Calling upon Brandenburg Constitutional Basic rights, the Scientology sect wants general file access to government documents. Vice-Administration speaker Manfred Fueger verified that Scientology had filed applications at the end of with three ministries - finance, interior and state chancellery. The state administration see no method of basically refusing such desires, but still has asked for clarification for the applications in a letter of response. The process has triggered a debate in the administration coalition as to whether the document access law should be strengthened. The PDS, State Data Security Commissioner Alexander Dix, and even SPD politicians, like SPD legal expert Peter Muschalla, have opposed this move.

"Constitutional Security chief Heiner Wegesin affirmed that constitutional Security federal and state offices were already familiar with the exploitation of the document access law by the Scientology sect. CDU faction interior political spokesman Sven Petke spoke out in favor of restricting the danger of misuse of the data access law by 'politically motivated requests.' Files which contained company data, government memos or personal date could not be released. Dix confirmed that there had also been unrest in the Brandenburg Finance Ministry because of the inquiries Scientology made. Staff members had expressed concern that their names could be accessible to the organization from the files."

>From Berliner Morgenpost on February 26th:

"The applications of the Scientology sect at the Revenue and Interior Ministries as well as the State Chancellery may unleash a political debate. The opinion of several parliamentarians from the SPD and CDU that the File Access Law contains a danger of misuse was contradicted by Data Security Commissioner Alexander Dix. The supporter of free information access wants to submit a proposal to Parliament for modifications of the law which would amount to an extension of it. He is arguing for a time limit in which such applications must be worked by the administration. At the state level, there have been about a hundred applications for file access. The application of the Scientology sect was legitimate, said Dix. Nevertheless he said he understood the desire of the state government to have the sect detail its inquiry."

Newswire dpa released an analysis of this year's U.S. State department report on Human Rights on February 25th:

"The USA has determined in its annual Human Rights report that, worldwide, there is a positive trend. In its report published on Friday, the State Department sees a tendency towards democratization. A positive comment was made about Germany in that the number of attacks against foreigners in the past year has decreased again. In contrast to previous years, the attitude of the German authorities toward the Scientology Organization was not criticized, but merely recorded. For instance it was stated that the organization is not regarded as a church in Germany, but as a commercial business. In addition, it was noted that civil service applications in Bavaria include a mandatory, detailed questionnaire in which contain questions about connections to Scientology."

Augsburger Allgemeine reported on March 1st that Scientology has targeted the city of Neu-Ulm for recruitment efforts.

"For several days leaflets have been distributed in downtown Neu-Ulm by the Scientology Organization, which has about 900 million [sic] members worldwide. The spiritual potential of a person is supposed to be 'developed' by means of this personality test. In its leaflet, the highly controversial sect is requesting people to take a test, which will then be evaluated by a 'specialist in the counseling center.' By doing the analysis, it is also possible to discover weaknesses of potential future members.

"Peter Ott of the city agency which has jurisdiction in the area has confirmed that a permit is required for the leaflets. 'Scientology has not obtained this permission. If this permission had been extended to the organization, they would have had to pay the fees. But we have already often experienced that Scientology tries to circumvent this regulation,' he confirmed. He also verified that the police have already looked around today, and they would also be increasing their patrol for the next few days."

Muenchner Merkur reported on March 2nd that parents have been removing their children from a ballet class in Pliening out of fear that a teacher is a Scientologist.

"Out of a fear of Scientology, numerous parents in Pliening (Ebersberg County) have taken their six to ten year old children out of ballet class. They are convinced that the female instructor is being actively observed by Constitutional Security. 'It is right at this age that children are easy to manipulate,' said a father. However there is no proof that Scientology plays a role in ballet instruction. The woman is said to be known to the authorities because she allegedly appeared at the Marienplatz in Munich with another ballet group at a Scientology gathering. Several parents have seen pictures published of it. The community council has already withdrawn permission for the use of a gymnastics room in the school basement by the ballet group - the official reason was to avoid a flood of like applications."

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Grady Ward

"I had a court appearance this morning in San Jose in the court of Judge Jeremy Fogel. Representing the criminal cult of scientology were Helena Kobrin and Samuel D. Rosen. The issue was my FRCP rule 60(b) motion to set aside the consent judgment based upon fraud on the court and other misbehavior on the part of the cult in trying to interfere with my employment.

"The court leaned against granting me the relief I requested not believing that setting aside the judgment was the proper mode for me to obtain relief. The judge also denied without prejudice the instant motions of Samuel D. Rosen for sanctions against me, to strip me of my in forma pauperis, and to depose me yet again as a 'judgment debtor.'

"While the cult did not deny trying to get me fired without cause and attempting to force me to drop my appeal before the Ninth Circuit, they did allege that I supposedly perjured myself in my affidavits and they accused Bob Minton, Stacy Brooks, and Lawrence Wollersheim of perjuring themselves when they testified that Marty Rathbun and Mike Rinder demanded that Bob Minton fire me unless I drop my appeal."

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Italy

"For the first time the Italian justice expresses a final judgment against the managers of the church of Scientology. Up to now almost all the investigations ended up with dismissals or acquittals. Now the Supreme Court ratified the tax-exempt activity of the managers of the dianetic theories. And it explains: 'even if we'd assume a religious character of the church of Scientology and of its therapeutical joints, it is a religious activity that charges [for its services] and, as it generates income to the organization that manages it, it is not exempted from fiscal obligations'"

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Lisa McPherson

"The tragedy of Lisa McPherson's death in a Scientology hotel room has turned into a sad, convoluted mess that cries out for justice. An unexplained reversal by Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner Joan Wood has prosecutors reviewing their case and raises questions about Wood's competence. Meanwhile, sworn statements by Scientologists paint a disturbing picture of McPherson's final days and raise this question: Why was no individual charged with a crime?

"Wood certainly surprised the state attorney's office. The new autopsy report is 'something of major significance we need to review,' said Assistant State Attorney Doug Crow. Amid the doubt, this much is clear: Wood owes the residents of Pinellas County an explanation; and State Attorney Bernie McCabe still needs to prosecute those his office determines to be responsible in McPherson's suffering and death.

"No doubt remains that McPherson was ill served by her Scientology 'caretakers.' Alain Kartuzinski, a senior church staff member, ordered McPherson's isolation and authorized medication without a doctor's approval. Then he lied to police about his involvement. Janis Johnson, a church medical officer and unlicensed doctor, was seen giving McPherson injections of a prescription muscle relaxant that had not been authorized by a doctor. She also lied to police. David Houghton, a dentist, helped administer medication, including forcing crushed aspirin and Benadryl down her throat with a large syringe. David Minkoff, a church member and doctor in Pasco County, prescribed drugs for McPherson over the phone without examining the patient. By the time he saw her, she was dead.

"Changing a few words on the autopsy report does not change the tragic events that unfolded in a darkened Scientology hotel room. Whatever caused the blood clot that killed McPherson, timely medical care would have given her a chance to survive. No matter how many experts the Church of Scientology hires or how much pressure they put on public officials, a jury should decide if someone committed a crime in the death of Lisa McPherson."

Scientology asked the new judge in the criminal case to remove himself for conflicts of interest. From the St. Petersburg Times on March 3rd:

"The Church of Scientology says it fears Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Brandt C. Downey III cannot be impartial and is asking that he remove himself from presiding in the Lisa McPherson case. In a motion filed late Thursday, Scientology asserts that several of Downey's former law partners were active in anti-Scientology efforts in the late 1970s and early 1980s, after the church's controversial arrival in Clearwater. The motion also notes that Downey has been an officer in local mental health groups involved in providing psychiatric and psychological services. Scientology is staunchly opposed to psychiatry and psychology, calling its practitioners 'psychs' who are 'the sole cause of decline in this universe.'

"In its motion, the church says it recently discovered aspects of Downey's background that 'reasonably cause it to fear that it will not receive fair treatment before the judge . . . because of his prejudice or bias against the Church of Scientology as well as its religious beliefs relating to mental health treatment.'"

According to the Tampa Tribune on March 4th, the judge refused Scientology's request.

"Pasco-Pinellas Circuit Judge Brandt Downey also refused to put the case on hold while the church asks an appeals court to remove him. Downey then held a second hearing in which he ruled in favor of the church and against The Tampa Tribune. The newspaper is seeking the release of an estimated 10,000 pages of police reports and and other documents from the investigation of McPherson's December 1995 death.

"The suggestion that a judge must be sympathetic to Scientology's beliefs in order to preside over the McPherson case is not a legitimate reason to seek Downey's removal, Assistant State Attorney Doug Crow argued. 'They are not entitled to manipulate the court system to require a judge whose beliefs match theirs,' Crow said. Crow called the church's complaint about Downey's former partners 'guilt by association, innuendo and speculation.'

>From the St. Petersburg Times on March 4th:

"Immediately after the ruling, Scientology lawyer Morris 'Sandy' Weinberg asked Downey to stop the case completely until the judge's ruling could be appealed. Downey quickly denied the request, advising Weinberg to be ready for a significant hearing March 13. Weinberg faced a delicate task Friday morning, asking Downey to step down while trying not to offend him. His arguments were laced with phrases such as, 'with all due respect.' In its motion, the church noted Downey's affiliations with Clearwater lawyers N. David Karones, Tom Hersem and Barry Glenn, each of whom was pitted against Scientology on various issues during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

"Weinberg said the church believes its fundamental beliefs are on trial. He noted that the church's defense is based in large part on the argument that the Scientologists who cared for McPherson were engaged in religious practices rooted in the avoidance of psychiatry and psychology. Weinberg was met with a testy response from Downey, who denied the motion, saying the church had no evidence that 'would place a reasonably prudent person in fear of not receiving a fair and impartial trial.'

"The judge was equally short with lawyers for the Times and Tampa Tribune, who asked Downey to release investigative records in the case. Downey said the lawyers made it sound like he rushed to judgment on a ruling last week that kept the records closed. 'That does not sit well at all,' the judge said, denying their requests."

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Protest Summary

"Kathy and I picketed the mission this morning for an hour, starting at just before 9 AM. There were 6 cars in the parking lot and one car dropped of a single person just as we arrived. That car had the Arizona vanity plate ARCKCR. No handlers were present, so it was a pleasant time of sign exercise and waving at drivers who honked or gave us a 'thumbs up'. Later in the day, I gave an update presentation on the last Clearwater picket and general Co$/Critic activities to the Phoenix Skeptics Society. There were 10 people at the luncheon meeting, and I talked and answered questions for about 90 minutes."

Dave Bird reported a protest in Birmingham, England.

"Me, Jens, Shellac, Martin, JohnR, Hartley, a local couple... later we're joined by another local woman, plus the new guy and his wife. The bOrg now occupies the 2nd floor of 'one-one-two' New St, a big glass and chrome art deco building.

"We set up halfway down Ethel St opposite the door, and tried out the boom-box. I gave them a few verses of the ElRonRon to wake them up. Hartley suggested we move to the T junction with New St, next to a rotating advert which passing kids occasionally used as a slow speed roundabout. We were well provided with leaflets, and public response was good. About ten minutes later five pods emerged from the pod-shop and assembled uncertainly behind the rotating sign. We saw between six and seven in all, including some who tried to go unseen. Two women body-routers turned up and tried to work about 20 ft further up. They actually had a fellow clam pretend to be a customer, which drew a bronx cheer from us. Plenty of amplified calls of 'don't sign your life away to scientology,' and 'watch out for the pods with the clipboards -- they're after all your money.' They told the cops we were blocking their door -- which we hadn't been even when we were in Ethel St -- and the copcar pulled up in the middle of Ethel St to keep watch. We packed in at 15:30 anyway, because of the cold."

Sean Oslter and Deana Holmes protested in Salt Lake City.

"I arrived at the Salt Lake City org at approximately 1 pm and noticed that Mirele was already picketing. About 3 or 4 minutes after I arrived, a short, heavier-set man with bushy eyebrows came out of the org. He came over to me and asked if I was Sean Ostler. When I replied that I was, he stated that he was from OSA. He said that he had been trying to contact me for several weeks. He pulled out of the manila folder *copies* of five or six checks made out to me, all totaling about $13,000. He said that all I had to do was sign a waiver to get the checks. I read the waiver, which contained 12 or 13 items stating that I agreed to give up all claims against the Church of Scientology, that I would not sue the church, and that I would never again speak publicly about the church.

"I told him that the only item I would agree to was number 7, which stated that I would not receive Church of Scientology services again. He tried to tell me that it was a standard agreement when receiving refunds, at which point I told him that this was a return of advance payments and that they didn't need a waiver for that. He said the church had made every effort to make the situation right and that because I would not sign the waiver, my actions would be considered extortion. He said that he had read all of my posts on the Internet and that giving me back the money would not accomplish anything because I had ulterior motives against the church.

"[A]fter about ten or fifteen minutes, a single officer arrived in a police car. Apparently, the OSA guy was showing the officer copies of posts I had made to the Internet and he was accusing me of being there trying to extort the Church of Scientology of money. Then I heard the officer give the OSA guy a long lecture on the First Amendment and how any articles I posted on the Internet had no bearing on my right to be there and demonstrate peacefully. The OSA guy looked frustrated as he went back into the org. Then the officer came over and very politely gave us a few guidelines on what we can and cannot do when picketing. Then he went back to his car, watched the situation for a few minutes, then left.

"The picket sign that I made was a big hit and it got a lot of attention. The side that I kept toward the street had the words 'WARNING: GREEDY CULT ZONE' in large 6" black letters and there was black and yellow caution tape on the top and bottom. After about 45 minutes, another ex-Scientologist joined us. In all, we picketed for about 2 hours and delivered the truth about Scientology to hundreds of people."

"I was parked in my car when I saw my friend David across 11th East. He came over and said that there were four people in the Org lobby. So I got out my picket sign (one side of which said: 'Scientology's Sacraments: Celebrity and Money' and 'Scientology is a CLEAR fraud') and started picketing in front of the Org. Phil came out almost immediately. I decided that since the blinds were open on the course room, I was going to wander by with my sign. I finally got to the end, and Phil was yelling at me that I was disturbing 'church services'. Anti poked his head around the corner and said something like 'The cops are here,' so I walked back quickly.

"When the sergeant got done with the OSA guy, he came up to us and told us that we had every right to be out there, but that we could not be disturbing the peace. He also looked over our signs and said that the sticks were OK (the right thickness, not a weapon). We explained that we were just out there to inform people, and I noted that I'd picketed out there since 1997 and the cops had never been called. During all this the OSA guy had gone back in. Phil stood outside for a while, his lips pursed, a severe look on his face."

"Realpch" protested at the San Francisco org.

"It was a great day for a picket, especially as I found street parking nearby, and Keith Henson and a new South Bay Suppressive were already there, signs in hand. Mr. SBayS had a video camera, and the picket sign he was carrying was immediately recognizable as a very famous picket sign. The stick was made of an old pool cue, and had traces of red spray paint on it! Faithful readers of this forum will remember that Mr. Henson was carrying it when he was attacked by an overzealous Scientologist who applied the spray paint in an attempt to efface the message thereupon. Pretty soon Phil Scott arrived, and Jour too. Phil had new messages on his picket sign, and Jour had a new flyer carrier, and an improved yellow strap on her around-the-neck placard, which contrasted nicely with her red picketing jammies.

"Jeff Quiros, head of the SF Org came out and took pictures, and more pictures, and then some more pictures, for at least a half hour. Mr. SBayS took pictures of Jeff taking pictures, Jour took pictures of us all, I took a picture of Jour and Keith, and a local SF radio station DJ came and conducted some mini interviews with a little camcorder."

Catarina Pamnell protested in Copenhagen.

"[A] large banner over the AOSHEU entrance announced the 'What is Scientology' exhibition inside. We took a look around the corner from the org, where there's a small square. Those jazzy tunes blown in our direction by capricious winds, could it be? None other than that fabulous Scientology band, The Jive Aces! A friendly rather elderly lady cheerfully offered to take us to see the exhibition. Me and Ake were delivered into the hands of a Danish scientologist, who bid us welcome and got us cups of coffee.

"Ake was spotted by the security guard. They asked of course what was our purpose of being there, but I think they did listen to Ake's explanation that he was curious to see *their* presentation of themselves, and that we were not looking to make any fuss inside or talk to people. Gaetane (a.k.a. Marlene) Asselin came down and immediately ordered us out of there. Another SP, Ole, was also thrown out. A fourth member of our SP company was not recognized by the guards, and did get to see the sights.

"Now there wasn't much else to spend our time on than digging out those fliers and join the scientology distribution team. There were a couple of instances of scientology distributors trying to grab my fliers, or to run some 8C drills ('controlling a person') which I mostly ignored. Then we got a new group of handlers - the Jive Aces band members! Especially the trombone player, Alex Douglas according to their website, was very active and quite aggressive. 'Who's paying you?', 'what organization do you come from?', and the standard variations on 'what's your crime?' 'Are you running a child pornography ring?'

"There was some kind of incident later between Ake and this guy. The 'Swing Kid' was trying a confront drill, getting up in his face with a stern look. But when Ake responded by moving even closer, he kissed Ake on the cheek, then hit him lightly over the face. Ake was caught by surprise and hit back - also lightly but he knocked the guy's hat off. Danish PR Anette half-heartedly tried to raise some fuss. I wanted to get back to flier distribution. Several of the scientology flier distributors were doing that trick of stealing our fliers out of the hands of the public.

"My meagre supply of fliers - about 150 general/Lisa/Xenu - ran out. When I made a clean-up round of the area, picking up any of our fliers littering the streets (I found one), I saw the Jive Aces packing up their gear. I just could not resist calling to our new friend the 'Swing Kid': 'Hey, you should stick to playing, you do that much better than SP handling!' He snarled back 'and you should kiss my ass!'"

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Kelly Preston

"Kelly Preston will be screaming in silent agony when she gives birth to hubby John Travolta's baby later this month. Her only relief through hours of excruciating labor will be to bite her lips and clench her husband's hand. The staunch Scientologist plans to follow her church's teachings about childbirth - which include a strict no-noise policy in the delivery room and a ban on painkillers. Even natural childbirth breathing techniques are forbidden.

"'It's called quiet birth,' says Travolta of the Scientology procedure, which is used because L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology's founder, believed excessive noise can 'be the cause of irrational fears, compulsions and unexplainable behavior' later in a baby's life. 'The birth is for the child and for the mother,' explains John. 'Moans and groans are one thing. It's words that have the most potential. Any people saying negative verbiage could adversely affect the baby later on.'

"Everyone in the delivery room--including doctors--are encouraged to keep as quiet as possible. 'The child will experience pain as it's being born, but to have all these people around saying all kinds of things makes it worse. As he grows up and hears these same words, it will stimulate the memory of the pain of birth.'"

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Lisa McPherson Trust

"We're just concerned about the feeding hall and unloading those buses. And in this particular law review article, 85 Cornell Law Review, 271, they get into the requirements for areas where you limit an entity or individuals first amendment rights. It must be very carefully drawn. It must be narrow not broad. The interests protected must be very clear. When I looked at this and I considered what we have here, and I also consider the fact that this safety zone, or the United States Supreme Court refers to it as a buffer zone, referred to in the cases, I'm impressed by the fact that the zone we have here was in essence more or less negotiated. I think that it is narrow enough. It is needed for safety. It is very small when you consider the number of individuals on a daily basis that get on and off those buses and proceed directly into the, as we refer to it in the documents, as the Bank of Clearwater. There is ample opportunity for the respondents to be heard or to exercise their first amendment rights without this being over restrictive or creating a problem. So I am going to adopt that.

"And it is the finding of this Court that from the evidence presented here, at least for the purposes of joining a party defendant, and then setting forth some sort of allegations I will add as party defendants Jessie Prince, Mark Bunker, and Grady Ward, and that is all. Wait a minute, excuse me, and, and, and, and I will name the corporation.

"I would besiege both sides to refrain from overburdening the Clearwater Police Department or their authorities with chicken little phone calls. The sky is not falling. So knock it off.

"Make it very clear that that safety zone only applies to this case. And as a citizen I expect to be able to walk through that safety zone. And if Chief Kline has any questions about that I'm in the phone book. The safety zone is to keep the picket signs and the in-your-face out of there while the people are getting on and off those buses. That is my intent. Now, as the case law clearly points out, the safety zone cannot inhibit the flow of traffic in or out of. Here they're dealing with churches, the people, even little children.

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