Mark Bunker
Lisa McPherson Trust media director Bark Bunker reported this week that charges will not be filed against the Scientologist who attacked him with a hammer while he filmed for a German TV crew. "Bernie McCabe's office has written me to say that no charges will be pressed against Richard Bernard who attacked my with a hammer nearly six months ago. Hammer attacks involving Scientologists will now be considered Sacred Rites and will be protected under the Florida Constitution." Message-ID: 397f0be4.0@news2.lightlink.com http://www.xenutv.com/trust/hammerresult.jpg
Ursula Caberta
Ursula Caberta, head of the Scientology task force in Hamburg, Germany was greeted at the Tampa airport by a group of Scientologists protesting her visit to the Lisa McPherson Trust. "A beige shirt is shouting 'Go back to Germany, Nazi criminal!' twice through cupped hands. Meanwhile crowd of clams is pointing and shouting 'This lady is a criminal!' 'You're not welcome!' 'Nazi!' and similar shouts. Blonde middle aged woman, 'Go back to Germany, we like freedom of religion here.' Airport cops hold them back, and there are shouts 'You're all damned! You're all damned!'" "An announcement was made in the terminal after the crowd died down: 'Ladies and gentlemen, in case you were worried about what just happened here, those people were members of the Church of Scientology.' End of announcement. That was all that was needed to be said." Patricia Greenway reported the identity of many of the Scientologists at the airport. "The idiot yelling through cupped hands was Ian Shillington. He came the next day to the door of the LMT to scream the same inane lunacy and later carried signs that said GO HOME NAZI's. Some of those members that came to the airport as well as picketed the LMT with Nazi go home signs were: Sandy Adair, Dan Sigal, Dennis Clark, Penny Jones, Andrea Anniskevich. Of course the airport crowd was orchestrated by Al Buttnor. Also, there were a few children brought to the airport as well as the NAZI picket to carry Nazi signs and trained to yell Nazi's go home." Ursula Caberta participated in a press conference at the Lisa McPherson Trust on July 25th. From the St. Petersburg Times: "The battle between the Church of Scientology and the German government, a long-running dispute steeped in emotion and international politics, has come crashing into Clearwater with a visit by a controversial German official. Ursula Caberta, who heads a government office in Hamburg that works to curb Scientology in Germany, said Tuesday at a downtown news conference that Scientology is viewed in her country as 'a new kind of political extremism.' "'I believe that the very good relations between Germany and the U.S. should not be influenced by an organization like Scientology,' Caberta said, appearing at the headquarters of the Lisa McPherson Trust, a 'watchdog group' founded by Scientology critic Bob Minton. "'It is all I can do to hold my temper,' said Hans Bschorr, a Scientologist who said he was employed as a television reporter covering the Bavarian parliament when a newspaper article four years ago mentioned he belonged to the church. 'I lost everything over there instantly,' said Bschorr, scoffing at the notion Scientologists have exaggerated their plight for political gain in the United States. 'I had to move my family out of the country.' "At the news conference, Caberta focused on the case of Antje Victore, a German Scientologist who in 1997 was granted political asylum in the United States by a Tampa immigration judge after claiming she was subjected to religious persecution in her homeland. Caberta pointed to letters Victore used to make her case. They were written by business owners who said Victore wouldn't be hired in Germany because of her involvement in Scientology. However, Victore failed to disclose to the judge that the letters were written by fellow Scientologists, Caberta said. Though Scientology did not orchestrate the case, Rathbun said, there would have been nothing improper if it had." Mark Bunker reported that a Scientologist sued Ursula during her visit to Clearwater. "Scientologist Hubert Heller has filed a civil suit against Ursula over the 'Sect Filter.'" "As head of the task force, Caberta initiated a series of discriminatory and exclusionary measures designed to stigmatize, disenfranchise and ostracize Scientologists based solely on their association and beliefs. Caberta created and disseminates so-called 'sect filters' both in the public and private sectors. These 'sect filters' require individuals and companies to declare in writing: That they do not 'use the technology of L. Ron Hubbard;' That they are not trained and do not participate in the 'technology of L. Ron Hubbard;' and That they reject the 'technology of L. Ron Hubbard.' "RTl is a computer software company in Sacramento, California. Heller negotiated with the German firm, POSPartner G.M.B.H. (POS) to establish a distribution agreement whereby POS would distribute RTI's software products in Germany. Heller would realize substantial commissions from such sale to POS as weil as other sales in Germany exceeding $75,000. During the process of the negotiation, POS learned that Heller is a Scientologist. Heller has been a devoted member of the Church of Scientology since 1971. POS, as a result of Caberta's inducement, demanded that Heller sign one of Caberta's 'sect filters.' Heller refused to sign Caberta's 'sect filter,' and POS refused to enter into the agreement unless Heller signed Caberta's 'sect filters', thereby causing substantial damage to Heller. "This is a count for tortious interference with an advantageous business relationship and a business expectancy. Defendant's actions constitute a willful, wanton and malicious interference with plaintiffs advantageous business relationship and prospective economic advantage with POS, and defendant's actions have damaged plaintiff." Message-ID: 8lgrt1$1v3q$1@news5.isdnet.net Message-ID: 8RWe5.4986$sO2.22866@typhoon.tampabay.rr.com Message-ID: 20000724225442.20545.00000067@ng-fc1.aol.com Message-ID: 8lmi72$od8@netaxs.com Message-ID: 39808482.0@news2.lightlink.com Message-ID: 8lrbcj$s53$5@news2.isdnet.net http://209.241.48.234/legal/Ursulacivil.PDF
Operation Clambake
Andreas Heldal-Lund reported that his site at http://www.xenu.net has been selected by the Wall Street Journal. "The Wall Street Journal has included Operation Clambake as one of 'Our Favorite Sites' under the section 'Opinion, Commentary and Gossip'." http://beta.opinionjournal.com/favorite/ Message-ID: 27i5os4n9agr31jrkndas7tfrrof8d0kj4@4ax.com
Clearwater Mayor
Following the firing of Clearwater City Manager Mike Roberto, a lawyer affiliated with Scientology has called for the position to be eliminated. From the St. Petersburg Times on July 28th: "Saying he is saddened by divisiveness in the city, lawyer Timothy A. Johnson Jr., one of Clearwater's most prominent and influential figures, is asking city officials to consider a fundamental change in the way the city is governed. Some commissioners said Thursday that the 'strong mayor' idea has merit and they would be willing to debate it. "Such a change would have to be put before voters as an amendment to the city charter. A ballot measure could be initiated by the City Commission or a citizen committee that gets signatures of 10 percent of the electorate. Johnson, 54, is a lifelong resident of Clearwater and head of a downtown law firm -- Johnson Blakely Pope Bokor Ruppel & Burns -- that has a long tradition of involving itself deeply in the city's political life. "Clearwater is a city divided, he wrote: 'Old versus young, business interests versus retirees, Scientologists versus anti-Scientologists, downtown proponents versus suburbanites and city officials versus skeptics.' Johnson, who became a close adviser to Roberto, said his proposal would not solve all of Clearwater's problems. 'There's no perfect solution,' he said. 'But sometimes change is healthy.'" Karin Case described Johnson's recent work for Scientology. "His partner, Wally Pope currently represents the Co$, and was the Co$ attorney in the June 29, 2000 injunction hearing between Howd/Co$ & Minton/LMT." Message-ID: 8lrvbb$ai3@netaxs.com Message-ID: dij3oss3bsmogposop34qvs2pi001osbam@4ax.com
Austria
News Austria published an article on July 25th on a Scientologist who impersonates Elvis Presley. "The message was clear and unmistakable: 'Scientology kills' in big letters could be read on the t-shirts of the counter-activists at the street festival at the end of June in Shliefmuehlgasse in Vienna. And while Mark Janicello, 37, whispered his smash hit 'Deep Your Soul' [sic] with an icy demeanor, the demonstrators cheerfully distributed flyers to the audience in which they announced the membership of the musical singer in Scientology. "Janicello is the only artist in Austria who openly professes to Scientology: 'For a year I've done nothing else for them, I don't want to any more. But if this goes on, I'm moving back to the U.S. I've never misused my audience for Scientology and never spread their messages. I would only like one thing: to make music.' "Janicello ran into Scientology in 1994, 'My wife at the time, Danielle, and I had marital problems, we went to psychologists and marriage counselors. Nobody could help us. Then somebody put the 'Dianetics' book by Ron Hubbard into my hands.' Janicello made the pilgrimage to the Scientology headquarters on 46th Street, 'After six and a half hours of auditing my migraine headaches were gone and I was convinced: this was it.' He took several communication courses, 'I regularly took auditing, sessions and the 'Purification Rundown,' a purging program in which the body is detoxified and cleaned. Every course cost 3,500 shillings, Scientology is expensive.' "Soon Janicello was deeply involved in the structure of the organization and also had contact with the 'Office of Special Affairs': 'I authored reports which I sent to the 'Ethics Office' about other Scientologists.' Renate Hartwig to NEWS: 'These reports are comparable to the reports which former Stasi informants wrote about offensive regime critics.' "'BMG Ariola Munich canceled a scheduled duet along with 14 promotional appearances, Dieter-Thomas Heck asked me not to be on his show anymore.' His friends in the field disappeared. Marika Lichter, 'When we suddenly started to get invitations to Scientology meetings, I knew what the game was. I want to keep myself and everything having to do with me away from that.' "Janicello's appeal: 'I am an artist. I did not want to bring someone into Scientology, nor have I abused my public.'" Message-ID: Pine.LNX.3.96.1000726183158.124C-100000@darkstar.zippy
Germany
Volksblatt Wuerzburg reported on July 21st that Scientology's CCHR booth in a local market will be monitored by the city of Wuerzburg. "The informational booth of the 'Commission for Violations of Psychiatry against Human Rights, Inc.' will be 'specially monitored' Saturday by the city. This is the third time in several weeks the Commission had set up a stand on the upper market. An informational stand can be refused only if it is known or expected that crimes will be committed or codes violations will occur, according to Kruse. There is no indication for either of those with KVPM. "Reverend Alfred Singer, sect commissioner of the Wuerzburg Diocese, had advised against filling out the statement of intention which was formatted like a patient admittance form. Those who signed the 'protection letter' with power of attorney would not only have to count on enormous expenses but also on having 'private matters of health' exploited by Scientology. The Bavarian State Interior Ministry has also been involved with the KVPM. It said in its 1997 booklet 'Scientology - an anti-Constitutional Endeavor,' that while the KVPM 'vociferously opposed alleged abuse in psychiatry,' it avoided mention of 'systematic mistreatment' of Scientologists by the Scientology Organization in its 'Rehabilitation Forces.'" Die Welt reported on July 26th that Scientology plans an exhibit on L. Ron Hubbard in Hamburg. "A visibly worn press spokeswoman opened the exhibition about the 'Life and Work of L. Ron Hubbard' in the Bieberhaus near the main railroad station. And about 250 Scientologists went. With champagne and hors d'oevres the visitors looked at the exhibition about the sect founder, but the Scientologists weren't allowed to say that. Friendly but firmly one was instructed that Hubbard was referred to as a 'founder of religion.' "The press spokeswoman pointed out constantly that all the works ever printed by the Master came to 149 million copies, among them such 'classics' as 'Typewriter in the Sky,' 'Evil Triumphant' and 'The Horror'. The illustrated chapters of his paths of life were described in 'The Boy Scout,' 'The Adventurer,' and 'The Flyer.' Pictures of the man who died in 1986, who was edging into corpulence even in his early years, looked down upon the guests from all walls. And on each wall, in the middle of all the photographs, the golden words of the Master could be read. "On another board it is stated that the Master not only was an author and script writer and not only did he found a religion - he also enriched the fields of drug rehabilitation and the resocialization of criminals. Here the visitor can also partake of Hubbard's findings, 'The drug scene encompasses the entire planet. It is marked by blood and human suffering.' He also published the 'Textbook of the Human Spirit' with the deep insight that there is a 'higher goal' and a 'more glorious victory' than 'burnt-out cities and people killed by radiation.'" The Robin Direkt Report this month published an interview conducted by Renate Hartwig with a former Scientologist. "The woman, a non-Scientologist, got involved with a Scientologist and her marriage failed because of the Scientology organization. "It is not possible to have a functioning relationship between a Scientologist and a non-Scientologist in the long run. You communicate on two completely different planes thereby missing each other. The one cannot be just a little bit of a Scientologist and the other cannot be just a little bit of a non-Scientologist - the ideology does not permit that from two sides. "Based on the reports before me from my ex-husband I can only say they know absolutely everything that we discussed at home. It was also determined how often my former husband and I went to bed with each other and what all the variants were of our marital sex life. I led a nearly completely transparent marriage life for a perfectly undemocratic organization. You could say I had the feeling that I was married with 35 people. "It was incomprehensible to me what he had been thinking of in betraying his marriage and his wife to an organization. I was very hurt. I was not ready to simply give up without a fight - it's just at the time, I had no way of assessing how much power was really behind this thing. This opponent was too powerful or too crude and did not operate using fair conditions." The Robin Direkt Report also revealed that an official of the Free Catholic Church attended the opening of the new Hamburg Org. "In the first volume of Impact for the year 2000, Archbishop Ungerer of the Free Catholic Church of Germany was pictured as a speaker at the dedication of the new Scientology Organization in Hamburg. It is clear that such a picture will be exploited for PR purposes in Scientology's literature. Archbishop Ungerer is certainly not a member of Scientology. But he lets himself be harnessed for Scientology's ideas. When asked, he replied that he has had contact for over a decade now with Heber Jentzsch, still one of the leading Scientology presidents in the USA. Asked whether he was really aware of the background of Scientology and what his position was on it, he answered: 'Do you know what the Scientologists are accomplishing?! It's tremendous! We are way behind them.' "Archbishop Ungerer's Free Catholic Church is a splinter group of the official Catholic Church. On May 17, 1966, Ungerer was expelled from the church community. The reason given was that he was pretending to be a priest, but had never been ordained in the Orthodox Catholic church. Ungerer had told a student that he was a father confessor and, garbed like a priest, had worn a cross and a bishop's ring with no authorization." Message-ID: Pine.LNX.3.96.1000724163347.118A-100000@darkstar.zippy Message-ID: Pine.LNX.3.96.1000726183057.124B-100000@darkstar.zippy Message-ID: Pine.LNX.3.96.1000726183313.124D-100000@darkstar.zippy Message-ID: Pine.LNX.3.96.1000728163052.115A-100000@darkstar.zippy
McClaughrys
Virginia McClaughry posted letters from the IRS in response to her copied correspondence with Scientology regarding a request for a refund. "The information submitted indicates that the Church of Scientology is in violation of the 1993 agreement between the Church and the Internal Revenue Service. The office of the Internal Revenue Service with jurisdiction over the Church of Scientology is the Exempt Organizations Area Manager, Pacific Coast. Accordingly, we have forwarded the information you have provided to us to that office for appropriate action. "The IRS maintains an ongoing examination program to ensure that tax-exempt organizations continue to meet the legal requirements for tax exemption, and that they otherwise comply with applicable tax laws. When an examination reveals that an organization is not complying with the tax laws, the IRS takes appropriate action. We appreciate your concern in bringing this matter to our attention." Virginia also reported that her husband has filed suit against David Morse and Associates for firing him at the direction of Scientology. "In Federal Court, Spokane, Washington, a suit was filed on July 25, 2000. Mike McClaughry VS David Morse and Associates; religious discrimination. Mike was 'asked to leave' his 3 year job, due to 'being declared'." Message-ID: 3981e37b.0@news2.lightlink.com Message-ID: 3981e12c.0@news2.lightlink.com Message-ID: 398274fd.0@news2.lightlink.com
Nigeria
The News from Lagos, Nigeria published an article on July 24th on the debt buy-back issue that Scientology is using against critic Bob Minton. "The bone of contention is actually Fashanu's $6 billion debt buy-back fraud investigation which was published by Africa Confidential, a newsletter and the Sunday Times of London. Behind the operation were two Americans, Jeffrey Schmidt and Robert Minton. As the investigation revealed, 'Some $4.4 billion had been earmarked for currency stabilisation and debt buy-back, but the scheme cost only $2.5 billion and there are no records of other buy-backs or currency stabilisation operations between the period, 1988-1993.' "Babangida argued that if Fashanu were sure of his facts, he would have shown up in Washington D.C on 11 June at a forum organised by the US-based Nigerian Democratic Movement, NDM. Fashanu's solicitors claimed that Minton came to the forum with books and files contrived to 'undermine the Nigerian government's extensive investigations into his financial activities.' The lawyers argued that they would not be a party to the institutionalisation of crimes, provided by such a forum, but 'the court room is the only place where specifics have to be answered.' Fashanu himself echoed this thought when he explained that his refusal to attend was because of his primary concern to keep the facts in the jurisdiction of the criminal courts and not in the political arena. "Minton fired his accusation that Fashanu is being used by the Church of Scientology which he (Minton) is fighting over human rights violations. Minton was said to have secured the services of a journalist and a Nigerian Senator to keep him and his accomplices in extensive damage control and public relations job. "To save his skin, his loot and his powerful accomplices, Minton and his various organisations, Fashanu alleged, have been in contact with various financial institutions: Banque de Depots with Gordon Ahmed Sabiha as sub-director; Heritage Finance and Trust SA, Christian M. Wagner both in (Geneva); Sifida Societe Internationale Financier of Luxembourg. Mr. Minton and his coconspirators have kept the crucial documents away from the CBN officials for nearly 12 years while they used Nigerian funds to manipulate the price of Nigerian debt while making millions of dollars undisclosed to the Nigerian officials who were supposed to be overseeing this program." From The Guardian on July 27: "General Ibrahim Babangida may be invited by the Senate to explain a four billion dollar debt buy-back deal wrapped up under his regime. A three-page fact sheet submitted to the senate on the controversial transaction by Mr. Bob Minton by his Nigerian counsel, had detailed the nature of the monetary movements involved. "Minton stated that, 'we agreed with CBN that when we first started doing this, we would make profits of approximately one per cent of the face value of the Nigerian debt that we re-purchased. In February 1993, we had acquired 1.16 billion dollars of CBN promissory notes and approximately three billion dollars of Nigerian bank debt. 'It was good business for Nigeria. We made a good profit at one per cent of $4.5 billion is about $45 million profit which is perfectly normal. The CBN was receiving monthly reports from us and we were talking on the phone everyday to CBN's Governor Ahmed, Ishmael Usman, Sanaki and Masanwa were dealing with this whole matters.' Nigeria, he emphasised never defaulted in payment because the deal, 'was of great benefit to Nigeria. "'John Fashanu has been used by the church of Scientology, an organisation that considers me to be their greatest enemy in the world. His investigator is a full time worker for Scientology. He has been given this reports that I can be discredited as an effective critic of scientology in USA, Europe - France and Germany. This is vendetta on Scientology's part against me and they are using Fashanu and Nigeria as a tool. The investigator, Robert Clark for Fashanu goes by two other different names i.e. David Lee and David Laubach. I have spent over $4 million of my money fighting Scientology in the last five years, helping people who have been hurt by Scientology. I am exposing scientology for the type of totalitarian organisation they are, they like to hide behind religion, they are not a religion but a political movement. They say that anybody that speaks against them is a criminal. They have people prosecuting me for criminal actions. They have used different mechanisms to get me arrested and to stop being a critic of scientology. That is really what it is all about.'" Message-ID: 8ljv2r$ntd@netaxs.com Message-ID: 8ls2mm$ai3@netaxs.com
Org News
Virginia McClaughry reported that Scientology is starting a campaign to get all Clears who have left Scientology back in the organization. "There is a program to get all the FSM's, and anyone else that can be gotten, to contact, and get in comm with the 26,000 Clears that have not moved on the bridge, and/or are out of comm with the Church." Message-ID: 397fda0f.0@news2.lightlink.com
Tom Padgett
An update to the legal case of former Scientologist Tom Padgett was posted to a.r.s this week. Tom's wife in a custody and child support case is being represented by Scientology attorneys. "The extradition hearing in Massachusetts on July 21st was uneventful. Tom's lawyers got it delayed to August 8th. Scientologist Laura Padgett issued filed on the 12th of July in the 4th Judicial Court in Madisonville, Kentucky, threatening Tom with a whole new criminal grand jury indictment if he didn't show up in that courtroom on August 7th to answer charges why paper work is missing between the local prosecutor and Tom's former lawyers in Louisville, who just with withdrew for publicly and due to insufficient funds to compensate them for their time." "The July 12th motion from the pro-Scientology prosecutor David Massamore reads in part: 'If Padgett does not return and if the court sets a sentencing date which Padgett fails to attend, the Commonwealth will seek an indictment for bail jumping.' This is odd because the bail was posted in Massachusetts not Kentucky. The Co$ and a small handful of Western Kentucky politicians want Padgett 'isolated' and are relentless in their pursuit of new and creative ways to imprison him." Message-ID: 9821-397CE06F-21@storefull-218.iap.bryant.webtv.net Message-ID: 1991-397D8EAA-13@storefull-211.iap.bryant.webtv.net
Protest / Revenge Summary
Protests in Clearwater this week were opposed by Scientologists including Dennis Clarke, a Scientologist and radio host in the Tampa area. "Just as Ursula Caberta's press conference was getting underway, someone pointed out a lurker on the third floor of the parking garage behind the trust. Dennis Clarke, local a.m. talk radio spokesclam bustled past me and my female cohort, elbowing me and almost knocking her down. He then turned and ascended the stairs, yelling at me to stop taping him. He then punched me in the stomach while yelling that I was harassing him! He shouted that he wanted me to stop pointing the camera at him, so I pointed it down and he punched me again in the stomach, this time in full view of the lens! He then left, and I alerted the police who were nearby, but they could not find him." Report from a protest at the Fort Harrison: "Dennis Clark arrived, bumped and pushed Bob. He then strolled the sidewalk, bumping and intimidating. He stomped on Mark's toe, and stuck gum on his camera. He then assaulted me, though I didn't file a report or charges. He grabbed my arm and scratched it a little, pushed me with his elbow and tried to make me drop my camera. Mark and some others did file reports with CWPD, who were really cool to us all." From Jeff Jacobsen: "Tonight Bob Minton, Mark Bunker, Duncan Pierce, Grady Ward, Gerry Armstrong and I picketed in front of the Ft. Harrison Hotel from about 9 to 10pm. A woman came and said to each of us 'you picked a bad night, there are hundreds of us coming! You should leave now!' 60-100 Scientologists converged on us, waving small US flags for some reason. They immediately began shouting and screaming at us and getting in our faces. They continued this the whole hour. "A small boy, maybe 9, kept his flag in front of my camera for 10 minutes straight, so I finally asked an officer if something could be done about that. She said no, but at least the kid got scared and quit. There were times I was deliberately bumped into and pushed, but nothing too bad. The cops seemed completely bewildered as to what to do, and actually parked a paddy wagon in front of Flag and opened the back door. The cops took Dennis Clark aside finally and told him to go home They also pulled another woman out who had been literally screaming in Gerry's ear. She was given a warning. "People were slapping Dennis Clark on the back as he left, a job well done. The little kids that they bring are learning this hate and will no doubt continue it to the next generation." David Rice posted a summary of the audio portion of the videotape footage. "It's Mark Bunker! Are you allowed to talk? Do your leaders allow you to talk? Are you going to get out of that cult. How much longer are you going to do what they tell you? Can you talk for yourself? Can you think for yourself? "You're Nazis! We don't like Nazis in America! We don't like Nazis in America! Go home to Germany with Ursula! That's where Nazis belong! "Come on Minton! You're a big tough man! This is our turf! This is our turf! "[singing] and the home of the brave! Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you! Go back to your Nazi friends Minton! Go back to your Nazi friends! No balls, Minton! "[to Grady] Are you doing Stacey too or is that just Bob? You have taken your eternity and you've crushed it down to nothing. And when you find that out, you'll hang yourself! "[chanting] Hey Bob! Get a Job! Hey Bob! Get a job! Hey do you belong to the KKK?" Report from another protest at the Fort Harrison: "A few Flag vans drove right up on the sidewalk, one driver especially was trying to use his van to intimidate Bob as he walked with his sign, but the police quickly intervened and had some strong words with the driver. Bob made sure we thanked the Scientologists for allowing us to peacefully picket this time, and of course we thanked the police for their presence. "The counter picketers with their cookie-cutter signs walked around the LMT for about an hour after the picket ended. They mostly picketed on the back side of the building, which is almost like an alley, yelling Nazi, calling Bob the 'leader' and asking us all how much we get paid." From Jeff Jacobsen: "About 11 of us picketed the Ft. Harrison Hotel from about 7:45pm to 9:15pm. This picket was much quieter than last time since the Scientologists were apparently ordered not to yell and scream at us just inches from our faces for the entire time as happened previously. A smaller group simply stood against the entrance and taunted us. "They had their vans come by every few minutes and load or unload people. A group of Scientologists would try to block the sidewalk by making a human corridor to the van. The FUNNY thing about this was that most of the people coming and going in the vans were THE SAME FEW PEOPLE!!! Despite being told to do otherwise, the van drivers kept trying to drive right up onto the street, thus blocking most of the sidewalk. So the goal seemed to be to restrict the sidewalk as much as possible for us picketers. "A few Scientologists came and picketed both entrances to the Trust. The cops came over and kept an eye on things again. All the picket signs said 'Fascist Central' and appeared to be photocopies. I went out with the autopsy photos and tried to get the picketers to look at them. Ian Shillington finally came over to me and said he'd look at them but he needed to take them from me so he could keep moving while picketing, and he'd look at them while picketing. I said no way and just held them out so he could view them. He did look at them as did the other picketers and the 2 Scientology videographers there. After they finished looking they went right back to their rants about 'how much is Bob paying you?' and such nonsense." Keith Henson described additional protests and reported revenge actions by Scientology's PIs for his protests at Hemet's Gold Base. "The row of hedge plants on the top of the dirt berm in front of (*)'s house had been pulled out. I had walked about a quarter way toward the main gate when thug 2 was let out of a car. He tried the same, walking slow in front of me, so I went out in the road to get around him, and walked fast enough he could not get around me. Brent went far enough with his giant letters NO OTS HERE sign and then turned around to get back to the car exactly as I did." "Today I heard from my folks. Seems that Scientology has two people picketing them, and has had them out there on the road above their house for some time. My Mom requests that CoS either replace them or give them some better clothes. She doesn't mind the pickets so much as the ragged poor image they show in a fairly upscale neighborhood. The local police are 'protecting' the PIs by telling my irate neighbors that the PIs have a right to sit in their cars overnight, and technically not telling me I am under surveillance. But they also comment that they have *never* even heard of such a stupid operation. "The PI who annoyed my friends and tried to get dirt on me in Tucson is: Kirk Fowler (480) 443-4740 7845 E. Evans R9 Suite F Scottsdale, Az 85260" Arnie Lerma attended a protest by Scientologists at the French Embassy in Washington, DC, to protest a law against mental manipulation by cults. "I made a sign up big letters 'Viva le France, a nation with courage to project its children from mind rape of Scientology.' It was raining heavily. 8 clams got there at 12:15. I managed to get a parking space 20 ft down from them across from embassy entrance on their side of street. I pushed the sign out drivers window, then proceeded to use Paper Horn Tech. Yelled 'No OTS There' 10X; 'Vive la France' 10X; 'Vive la France, a nation with the courage to protect its children.' I started yelling OTIII through megaphone; 75 million years the evil ruler Xenu etc etc. "3 minutes later the clams went home at 12:45. During the picket, Sylvia and Thierry came over to car to hassle us. Sylvia stood in the street for a few minutes blocking out sign Thierry wanted me get out of the car, I was quite happy to stay dry and warm. I just opened car window and started yelling 'No Ots There' through megaphone at Thierry. He couldn't deal, and starting doing chicken imitation going 'cluck cluck.' Sylvia said 'our plans are working to run bob minton out of all his money. Then we will get you.' "Folks were turning around from across the street when I was aiming at Thierry on the sidewalk. We got smiles and thumbs up from French leaving their embassy, some with children. I came, I blew my horn, they ran." Wesley Fager reported protesting Scientology at the French Embassy the next day. "I staged a one-man protest yesterday at the French Embassy in Washington, DC in support of that government's efforts to enact legislation on what should and should not constitute a bona fide religion. My sign declared 'Scientology: Church of Greed' from the Times Magazine front-page article, 'L. Ron Hubbard was a liar and a fraud', 'Xemu: Evil Galactic Ruler', and another slogan saying 'ask them if they use lie detectors in church confessionals?' After a little over an hour an attractive brunette woman came out of the embassy and started writing down what my signs were saying. She left and five minutes later a white TV van with satellite antennae on top pulled up across the street. It was then I learned that the Concord had crashed and they were there for that. I left immediately." Roger Gonnet protested in Lyon at a Scientology event this week. "I've picketed the event given in Lyon by Scientologists for 2 and half hours yesterday, between 2.30 pm and 5 pm. I was wearing a Xenu tee-shirt, with the image of Xenu. Perhaps no more than a group of a few persons every 3 or four minutes, coming around the corner where they were. Very few people accepted their leaflet. They were offering roses. The entrance of the bar was blocked by two large panels bearing photos and texts with 'The religion of Scientology'. "As soon as they got their invitations or roses, I was running after them, and giving them a xenu leaflet with the 365,000 dollars cost, plus my site's address. I did it even at 10-20 meters from them without them seeing it! I distributed some tens of leaflets myself. "I saw the criminal Jean-Jacques Mazier, the one who was sentenced to 3 years jail in France for homicide, fraud and extortion They were about 10 inside or outside, one of them wearing a blazer with 'Crusade for religious liberty.'" "Barb" and David Rice protested twice in San Diego this week. "We took the 'Scientology, $360,000 Space Alien Scam' sign and a bunch of Xenu fliers and hit the street for fun and entheta. Many people commented on our matching 'Scientology Kills' T shirts, and shared tales of personality tests in different cities. We wound up wandering the streets downtown aimlessly for a few hours. "We planted ourselves on the corner of 4th and Ash, right outside the org. Many honks and thumbs up there; finally, somebody from the org saw us. I saw several male scienos peeking at us from around the front door, David noticed a pair of females peering at us as well. They were completely non-confront, we never even got to speak with a clam at all! There are apartments kitty-corner to the org, David noticed several flashes from an upper window, as if we were having our picture taken!" "By actual count, six people walked up and asked us where they could buy a 'SCIENTOLOGY KILLS' tee-shirt. Most folks had horror stories about being abused and mistreated by the Scientology folks. One guy who stopped and asked for a flyer had one day walked past the Celebrity Center and some 'sexy guy' walked up to him and started to flirt with him. The guy thought this was great, and when the 'sexy guy' ask him to follow him down the street a bit. They went into a Org and there was Hubbard's books staring him in the face! The guy took a staggered step or two back, and ran out the building. "We spent about 18 minutes outside the crime syndicate's brainwashing center, talking to folks. 100% support, 0% negative towards our message. The only time we received a negative Ack was from a Scientologist who said 'You people are weird.'" "Saturday was a bit more of the same: 12 more Xenu flyers passed out! One person told us about how his friend was lured into the Org just up the street with a promise of a free lunch. The guy went into the Org and was given a 'free personality test.' He was then sent up stairs via the elevator but there was something very, very odd with this elevator: it went up but would not go down! The guy went from the 'free personality test' and then the 'orientation' film, and then wanted DESPERATELY to flee. He left the 'orientation' film, and told folks he was no longer interested; he then went into the elevator and tried to get to the bottom floor, but it refused. The body router said there was a separate elevator to go down: without an escort the person would never find it. Needless to say, he did NOT get a 'free lunch' as promised." Message-ID: 397E565E.272878E3@mail.com Message-ID: 397D1144.8A8FE37D@guesswho.com Message-ID: 8lif3o$mbc$1@nntp9.atl.mindspring.net Message-ID: 8lhvqg$2d1o@edrn.newsguy.com Message-ID: 8lltk8$23lp$1@news6.isdnet.net Message-ID: 8lmf9p$641$1@bob.news.rcn.net Message-ID: 397fe10d.59555583@news.primenet.com Message-ID: 3980d712.15743842@nntp.lightlink.com Message-ID: 3982659F.3C378547@mail.com Message-ID: 8ltpmf$bna$1@nntp9.atl.mindspring.net Message-ID: 3982f25a.821025@news.primenet.com Message-ID: 398301BD.62412D93@pacbell.net Message-ID: 39834CCA.264E43@pacbell.net Message-ID: 3983ACDD.43138D70@pacbell.net
Tilman Hausherr
Tilman Hausherr reported that he has lost a case of libel against Scientology in Germany. "I have lost the lawsuit in which two Scientologists sued me, and I will have to pay about $250, plus legal fees (which will be about $100). The court held that the 'quiz' I made is indeed libelous, but it said that the legal fees of the cease and desist letter were too high. The scientologist's attorney had unilaterally set the 'litigation value' to DM 30000. The court considered this to be way too high, and set it to DM 8000." http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/4497/quizurteil.tif Message-ID: phf3os4s0ucb220mqev4e2ktrjo5e1j3s6@4ax.com
UK
The Telegraph reported on July 30th that Scientology plans to use the European Human Rights Convention to again attempt to get some status as a religion in the UK. "The Church of Scientology, described by a judge as 'corrupt, sinister and dangerous', plans to use guidelines on religion and belief in the European Human Rights Convention to gain recognition in Britain and conduct official weddings. It is allowed to perform official marriages in South Africa and is recognised as a religion in Sweden. Now its leaders in Britain claim it is 'just a matter of time' before it receives similar recognition here. Liberty, the civil rights group, also says that the church has 'a viable case' under the Human Rights Act, which comes into force on October 2. "Mona Arshi, a legal officer at Liberty, said: 'We contemplate that there will be a number of challenges from religious groups under articles 9, 12 and 14 in the Human Rights Act. I would say that they [Scientologists] have a viable case.' The Scientologists are pinning their hopes on anti-discriminatory articles in the Act which, they say, support their move. "Last year, the church's application for charitable status for the purpose of 'the advancement of religion' was rejected by the English Charity Commission, which ruled that it was not of 'public benefit'. But Graeme Wilson, the public affairs director of the Church of Scientology, said recognition was now coming 'from across the globe'. He said: 'The Government in the UK has committed itself to a policy of non-discrimination against religion and human rights. We believe that the Human Rights Act will make it much more difficult to discriminate against religion. We are a religion. It is a question of getting official recognition.' It was then 'a matter of course', he said, to win the right to perform marriages." Message-ID: 8m0k37$j5p$1@nnrp1.deja.com
A.r.s. Week in Review is put together by Rod Keller ©
This collection is organised for WWW by Andreas Heldal-Lund.
Only edits done by me is replacing word encapsuled in * or _ with bold and underscore, and made links into HTML.
