PIcket Report-Canberra Org

Goombaj, Thu 12 Aug 1999

Date: Thu, 12 Aug 1999 17:05:40 +1000
From: Goombaj@hotmail.com (Mr Smith)
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
Subject: PIcket Report-Canberra Org
Message-ID: <Goombaj-1208991705400001@chif2mac6.anu.edu.au>



12/09/99

At a bit before 11 am, I met Hemi at the library across the raod from the org.

He brought the signs, (Damn good ones, in comparison to what the clams
eventually made) and some flyers, (can't recall what sort, could have been
his own design), while I had the "space alien scam", and "Insane cult"
ones.

Armed with signs and flyers, we took to walking up and down in front of
the org, dishing out flyers here and there.Took about 15 or so minutes
until the clams appeared, and I think they were suprised that we were
there.

I was shadowed by this one guy constantly, who kept engaging me in
conversation.Quite entertaining.It was sort of like a born again,(and one
of them turned up later on), trying to get me to put down my sign, and go
up and see what $cientology is really about, before the door closes, and
when I really need it, it wont be there.Great fun.

I guess I was a little quiet, but the occasional person would burst
through the crowd to grap a flyer, probably to spite the clams.

I was also lectured on the evils of the Psych's, you know, how they
created all the drugs, and the problems of drugs, and how drugs never help
anything.(I'm certain I was then ;ectured on something I should not
have..I even baited the guy into saying that the psych's created
herion!!!.This clam also started to go on about some stuff that he most
likely should not have.It was something our spiritual nature, and that our
bodies are to our spirit, what a coat is to our bodies,(that was the
example he gave me, probably 'cuase I was wearing my trench coat), also
went on, (in the same speil, possibly to explain it better), to say that
becuase I wear a coat, I am not a coat, or that if I drive a car, I am not
a car.I lost him here, but I thought he was trying to explain, in a tech
way, that drugs don't effect our bodies, only our minds,(?), or somethibg
like that.

Any one else got ant idea what he was on about???

I wa critised consistanlty about my lack of knowledge of the tech
involved, and how I could have the nerve to picket a group that does so
much good.(You know, Purification programs from various drugs, teaching
kids to read, fraud Oooops, Heh heh.)

They also used a recent herion overdose, and some crazy guy who yelled and
pulled his pants down, to there advantage.

After about an hour and a bit of the picket I drifted to the corner of the
interchange, and stood there for rest of the picket, surrounded by 3 or 4
clams.By this stage, they had there own signs, (flimsy cardboard ones,
that bent in the wind, vastly inferior that Hemi's ones), and used them to
try and cover mine, but I kept moving it, until I got sick of it, and lent
on it for a while.

By this stage, I was getting a little tired, and some of the head honcho's
came up for a bit of a chat, and talk drifted to auditing of all
things.They raved on how it works, and that psych's are all criminals, and
there techniques never work, (you know, electrotherepy , prozac, other
drugs), and that auditing always works.I then casually expressed my
suprise that a catatonic patient could be revived by this.A short silence
followed, with one of them saying that it would happen, but take a long
time.
Don't know about you, but I thought that you had be concious to be audited.(?)

Anyway, the rest of the picket was better, as these two guys came up and
also started to argue with the clams.Quite good.I actually knew the
younger guy, (friend of a friend sort of thing), and he openly argued with
the clams, about various things, mainly the way it recruits new members,
and other managerial things.They tried the "But we do so much good"
arguement, but he said he didn't care what they did.It was great stuff.

Some other (older) guy came up after him, and started chatting about the
ships, (forget what it's called) were the $$$$ stuff goes on.Didn't pay
much attention to him, as He was on Hemi's side of the crowd.(by this
stage, there was perhaps 5 clams to the 2 picketers, plus the 2 others who
were argueing, as well as other clams about the place.In all, about a
dozen or so clams came out)

Oh yeah, sometime at the corner, when Hemi was changing tapes, one of the
Cof$ took his sign, and another had the nerve to tell me to give up my
sign, seeing as Hemi had given up his.They then made up the story that
someone must have walked off with it.

Had my photo taken several times,(posed for three or four of them, you
know, sign and flyer in full view, cheesy grin).Hemi took about a roll of
photo's, and a tape and a half of conversation.

When we finally left, 2 of the clams followed us, bearing propoganda and
signs, trying to find out where we lived.(They didn't say that, but it's
what we assumed)We tried to lose them in Haig park, (the swathe of trees
that crosses Northbourne Ave), but they ended up following us to a nearby
Phone booth, where the police were called.They then walked off. 


Hemi should be posting his veiws on the picket later this afternoon, so
wait for them.

Sorry if I rave on a bit to much, but most of it should be worth reading.


Mr Smith

Goombaj@hotmail.com
(of course, this is not my real name, and I'd rather not reveal it at this
point in time)