Presenting Rod Keller's
Alt.religion.scientology Week in Review

Volume 5, Issue 6 - May 14 2000


Kirstie Alley

The New York Daily News reported this week that Scientology celebrity has broken up with her boyfriend, also a Scientologist. "She's just broken up with her boyfriend, actor James Wilder. Alley and Wilder are practicing Scientologists, which presents a host of problems because the Church of Scientology typically frowns on anything negative concerning its celebrity devotees. Wilder is an expert carpenter and, practically built the house they've been living in; friends of the couple say the Hollywood Hills home is quite a showplace." The St. Petersburg Times reported on May 17th that Alley bought the home of another Scientology celebrity, Lisa Marie Presley. "The 5,200-square-foot residence overlooking Clearwater Harbor had been on the market more than two years. Alley purchased it on May 1 for $1.5-million through her California company, True Blue Productions, according to public records, which also indicate the actor will use the property as a second home. Presley, the daughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley, purchased the home for $1.2-million in 1996. "Alley's Los Angeles publicist, Nancy Kane, did not respond to questions about why her client was interested in purchasing property in Clearwater. One clue, however, is the home's proximity to the Church of Scientology's campus in downtown Clearwater, just a few blocks away. Both women are longtime Scientologists and highly visible advocates for the church and its causes. They also are part of what the church says is a major influx of Scientologists to the area over the past four years. An estimated 10,000 Scientologists live in Clearwater and surrounding communities, say church officials, who four years ago were giving estimates of 6,000. Mike Rinder, a top Scientology official, said Alley was not coming to Clearwater in any official capacity with the church. He added he knew nothing about Alley's plans." From the New York Post: "It seems Kirstie Alley, upset by NBC's cancellation of her lingerie-laden but skimpily rated 'Veronica's Closet,' is going back to the bosom of Scientology for solace and career guidance. Alley, 45, has just bought a $1.5 million waterfront home in Clearwater, Fla., where some 10,000 Scientologists live and where the controversial movement has a campus and training center. "Sources say Elvis' daughter quietly acquired another place in the bay-front community, and remains committed to the teachings of the late L. Ron Hubbard. Alley is on record as saying Hubbard's 'Dianetics' helped her beat substance abuse in 1979, and has said Scientology made her career path easier. It sounds as if she'll have plenty of time to hook up to the old E-meter and get some more counseling." Message-ID: utg3issm1tr686cu8lat3p3bj21vna2qru@4ax.com Message-ID: 8ftvp0$4pt@netaxs.com Message-ID: 39279b4a.4327452@news.primenet.com

Battlefield Earth

Estimates of the revenue generated by Battlefield Earth were reported by Reuters this week. "Reigning champ 'Gladiator' vanquished John Travolta and his sci-fi challenger 'Battlefield Earth' at the weekend box office, as the Second World War submarine thriller 'U-571' hung on for third place. 'Gladiator' pulled in about $24.3 million for the Friday-to-Sunday period, vs. $12.3 million for 'Battlefield Earth,' according to studio estimates issued Sunday. 'Battlefield Earth' collected such accolades as 'profoundly dreadful' (from the Wall Street Journal) and 'derivative sci-fi drivel' (Entertainment Weekly) on its way to movie theaters. The film's distributor, Warner Bros., termed the opening number 'respectable.' The movie cost between $65 million and $70 million to make. WB distribution president Dan Fellman said the authorship issue 'never really came into play' once the film opened. 'I didn't find that to be a problem,' he added." From the Sunday Times on May 15th: "By taking an estimated $24 million at American box offices in its second week, Gladiator skewered the competition easily to hang on to the No 1 spot. But then, the competition is not exactly fighting fit material. In second place is Battlefield Earth, an $80 million adaptation of L. Ron Hubbard's science-fiction novel, starring John Travolta. It took $12 million and will disappear fast. This is the Showgirls of science-fiction. Fears that Scientology's reputation for intimidation has affected the critics can be quickly allayed. 'It may be a bit early to make such judgments,' says The New York Times, 'but Battlefield Earth may well turn out to be the worst movie of this century.' The whole project reeks of superstar indulgence." From Variety on May 14th: "One clue to the majority of who was filling the Chinese theater's 1,500 seats came with the final credits: Scientology founder/'Battlefield Earth' author L. Ron Hubbard's name got the biggest cheer. Though the pic has a lock on the 'Scientology date movie of the year' category, the buzz was tougher from non-members. Industryites at the Sunset Room after-party spoke well of the make-up, special effects and star John Travolta, but the word 'convoluted' was mentioned regarding the plot." An email sent to Scientologists to boost attendance was posted to a.r.s this week. "From: Lee Cambigue Sent: Monday, April 24, 2000 Subject: See Battlefield Earth the first weekend! "Hi, PLEASE pass this on to everyone you know-and trust! My good friend Roberta Perry, who is an executive at a major studio, explained why it is absolutely essential that you see Battlefield Earth the first weekend. Four blockbuster movies are coming out in four successive weeks. May 5th is Gladiator. If Gladiator outsells Battlefield Earth on the SECOND weekend, Battlefield Earth will LOSE screens the next weekend. If Battlefield Earth beats Gladiator, it has a very good chance to go big time. Battlefield Earth MUST beat Gladiator on the first weekend B.E. comes out. Anything after that doesn't count!" From the Washington Post on May 15th: "We hear that members of the Church of Scientology were being urged last weekend to see, over and over again, Scientologist John Travolta's universally panned movie 'Battlefield Earth,' based on the novel by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. An e-mailed message exhorted: 'Battlefield Earth MUST beat Gladiator on the first weekend B.E. comes out. Anything after that doesn't count! Alas, the hugely expensive 'Battlefield Earth' did a disappointing $11.5 million in weekend business, compared with $24.6 million for 'Gladiator.' Church spokesman Mike Rinder yesterday insisted the Church had nothing to do with the e-mail. 'It's pretty sickening,' he told us. 'The last three weeks have been consumed with people telling people not to see the movie.' We suppose he means film critics. From the San Francisco Chronicle on May 15th: "John Travolta insists that 'Battlefield Earth,' his $90 million screen homage to L. Ron Hubbard, has nothing to do with his longtime devotion to the Church of Scientology. Mark Bunker has a very different take on 'Battlefield Earth.' He sees the movie as a devious recruiting device for one of the nation's wealthiest and most dangerous cults: 'It's designed to introduce L. Ron Hubbard to a whole new generation of kids. It's there to plant a favorable seed in children's minds.' "Bunker, a spokesman for the Lisa McPherson Trust in Clearwater, Fla., is not among those Scientology critics who allege that subliminal messages have been hidden inside this cacophonous film. According to Bunker, the mind-control techniques of 'Battlefield Earth' are decidedly more low-tech. They involve nothing more than a reply card inserted into the new paperback edition of Hubbard's novel. It offers a free movie poster plus information on other writings by Hubbard, which include 'Dianetics,' one of the founding texts of the Church of Scientology. "Rather than granting interviews, Travolta is doing a bookstore tour, signing Hubbard's novel. 'When Michael Caine goes around to promote 'The Cider House Rules,' he doesn't tour bookstores and sign copies of John Irving's novel,' Bunker said. 'Through the movie tie-in with the book, kids will send in the card to get their free poster, and eventually be introduced to 'Dianetics.'' "'It can cost you $360,000 to reach the upper levels of this space opera,' said Bunker. 'They teach that 75 million years ago the Earth was known as Teegeeack, part of a 90-planet federation ruled over by the evil overlord Xenu, who solved overpopulation by stuffing us into volcanoes and blowing us up with hydrogen bombs. That's why there's an exploding volcano on the cover of 'Dianetics.' 'They teach that there was something called the Marcabian invasion force that enslaved us once and will come back to enslave us again.' "In 'Battlefield Earth,' it's the year 3000 and Travolta plays the evil security chief of an alien race, the Psychlos, that has enslaved mankind. The movie tells the implausible tale of how a band of ignorant cavemen overthrow their alien overlords after getting a blast of wisdom from the 'knowledge machine.' Bunker said Scientology critics worried that the film will be used to recruit new members into the sect are happy about one thing. 'It's an epically bad film,' he said." From Hamburger Morgenpost on May 16th: "All America is cursing derisively and slapping its thighs with laughter. The target of the biting mockery: actor John Travolta in his new film 'Battlefield Earth,' based on a science fiction novel by Scientology founder Ron Hobbard [sic]. The American enemies of Scientology have been rubbing their hands ever since the premiere of 'Battlefield Earth' six days ago in Hollywood. The tenor: calling for a boycott of the film would be completely superfluous. The Washington Post wrote, 'Even a million monkeys with a million paintbrushes could not create in a million years anything nearly as weak-minded as Battlefield Earth.' Opens in Germany on October 5." From Minneapolis' City Pages newspaper: "They say Battlefield Earth, based on the novel by L. Ron Hubbard, has nothing to do with the Church of Scientology. Yeah, right--and the Gulf War had nothing to do with oil, and Siegfried and Roy are just good buddies, and Soupy Sales, my close personal friend, will now perform a rendition of 'Sunshine Superman' on didgeridoo. "This is a movie in which a 1,000-year-old flight-simulator machine is discovered by futuristic cavemen. (No, we're not talking about a T. Rex song.) The thing starts up like a dream, and the cavemen use it to become Top Guns overnight, kicking fat alien ass in an intergalactic dogfight. The jet planes also work perfectly and are, amazingly, filled with fuel and ammo. The evil alien race, called Psychlos, are ten-foot geniuses in awesome Kiss-style moonboots and Rob Zombie dreadlocks. Forest Whitaker is a lovable Cowardly Lion sort, crossed with Chewbacca. "In the Church of Scientology, new members must submit to a test called an 'audit.' A sort of lie detector is used to draw out a member's most painful and embarrassing memories. The sucker then spends piles of cash on classes and audits to cleanse these memories. (The church claims it can cure homosexuality as well.) Anyone who refuses to undergo an audit is ejected from the church. In well-documented cases, the Church of Scientology has been directly linked to character-assassination plots against its enemies - ex-members, anti-cult attorneys, etc. In a notorious memo written in 1968, Hubbard laid down the law on treatment of the group's nemeses - a practice known as 'Fair Game,' in which he wrote that a 'Suppressive Person,' or 'SP,' may be 'deprived of property or injured by any means, by any Scientologist... He may be tricked, sued or lied to, or destroyed.' "In the spirit of incoherence and iconoclasm established by Hubbard, I will now end this movie review by raising my middle finger to the Church of Scientology." Patricia Greenway reported that Scientologists are promoting Battlefield Earth on the sidewalks in Los Angeles. "Reports are coming in from employees in LA that SWARMS of culties are handing out flyers and scn info to theatre patrons as they attempt to approach the box office. One report: the swarm was aggressive enough that he had to turn down their flyers 3 times before he actually got to the ticket window to complain to the theatre manager. This was a theatre very near the Celebrity Center." From the Guardian on May 19th: "For most people, Scientology is an abstraction. In Hollywood, it's local, something like a pillar of the community. Anyone who thinks the church of Scientology will one day be legislated out of existence by the US government or discredited to death by tabloid revelations should consider its profile in Los Angeles, where it has been edging slowly towards respectability for more than a decade. Hubbard had a street - well, a service alley - named after him a few years ago, and though the mayor didn't show up for the christening, he did send a representative, an unmistakable sign of acknowledgment from the city's political establishment. "Through the sumptuous Celebrity Centre on Franklin Avenue, the church has strengthened its links with the city's other power centre, the movie business. Hanging out with Tom and Nicole and John Travolta must beat the hell out of working in a leper colony or nursing crack babies. No arcane rituals, no Bible, no guilt-trips about sex or money, just a lot of career networking, beautiful people and purchasable salvation. "This isn't bad going for a former pulp sci-fi novelist who once wrote a short story about a man who founds a religion in order to get rich quick. And it was in his capacity as sci-fi writer that Hubbard hit our screens last weekend. The John Travolta-produced adaptation of Hubbard's last major novel, Battlefield Earth, failed to topple Gladiator from the top spot. "I felt my brain cells dying at a worryingly rapid rate while watching Battlefield Earth. Not since Forrest Gump have I seen a movie that made me feel stupider with every passing minute of screen time. If I write another word about it, I'll start forgetting my alphabet and soon they'll have to water me twice daily." The Los Angeles Times reported on May 19th that a bank that helped with the financing of Battlefield Earth is having financial difficulties. "Investors have hammered shares of Imperial Bancorp this week, after the Inglewood-based bank disclosed worsening credit problems caused chiefly by a loan to a workers' compensation insurer. Imperial (ticker symbol: IMP) revealed in a financial filing this week that its second-quarter loan charge-offs would 'significantly increase' due to problems with an $8.8-million loan to Superior National Insurance, which was seized by state regulators in March and filed for bankruptcy last month. "On Wednesday, Jefferies & Co. analyst Charlotte Chamberlain warned that Imperial may be masking rising loan losses and charge-offs with profits it generates from exercising stock warrants in emerging technology companies. She also raised concerns about Imperial's entertainment lending division. She noted that the bank helped finance John Travolta's new film, 'Battlefield Earth,' which had a lackluster opening weekend. But Lacey said that Imperial's $44-million loan to Franchise Pictures producer Elie Samaha was largely repaid before the film opened and that the bank anticipates no problems with the loan." Message-ID: 8fmqnv$tjl$1@nnrp1.deja.com Message-ID: 8fo3qf$88m$1@nnrp1.deja.com Message-ID: 8fo3m5$7op$1@nnrp1.deja.com Message-ID: 20000515130232.13650.00003279@ng-bk1.aol.com Message-ID: 62r0is41nu16bl8k3qvg30jbrqa3hdset5@4ax.com Message-ID: 8frbvp$2ul@netaxs.com Message-ID: Pine.LNX.3.96.1000516162701.124F-100000@darkstar.zippy Message-ID: 39256cd8.5114592@news.primenet.com Message-ID: 20000518110816.19918.00000046@ng-cl1.aol.com Message-ID: 393ae193.22322619@news.primenet.com Message-ID: 2q9fisodfjdatoj5lm5k7su7k167n8gqnr@4ax.com

Clearwater

American City Business Journal of Tampa Bay published an article on May 8th on the development plan being made for downtown Clearwater. "Redevelopment efforts in downtown Clearwater face tough obstacles before becoming reality. 'Getting folks to recognize the value of investment in downtown is something that needs to be explained,' said Bob Keller, Clearwater's assistant city manager. Residents will vote July 11 on a proposed plan designed to turn the downtown district into a residential and retail mecca. "Opponents also have aligned in an effort to disclose all costs related to the project. So far, the cost to Clearwater residents has not been calculated, nor has a price tag for city participation. Ann Garris, a spokesman for the Save The Bayfront group organized 15 years ago to require public votes to change the waterfront, said her group simply wants people to be aware of the cost. "The city is probably best known as the international headquarters of the Church of Scientology. The assistant city manager said the fact that the Church of Scientology owns a great deal of downtown property, including the historic former Fort Harrison Hotel, is a plus. 'In my view, both the visitors and local parishioners are a tremendous economic asset to our town,' Keller said. 'They spend money and several of the businesses are owned by parishioners. My phrase is: 'This is our downtown in Clearwater,' and that means it is open to everybody.'" Message-ID: 392e2122.34791183@news.primenet.com

Ebay E-meters

Seattle Weekly published an article on May 11th on the actions of Ebay to disallow auctioning used e-meters. "The Church of Scientology, who demanded that eBay not allow folks to offer its e-meter devices on that auction service: Excuse me, but I understand that when you sold these gizmos to your army of true believers, you didn't structure the sales as licenses; they're fully owned by their ... owners. What's the problem? Hell, get Travolta to autograph a few of those doohickeys and do the eBay thing yourselves. It's not like you guys to turn down a revenue source, and from the look of it you may need to recoup some capital after the premiere of Battle-field Earth." Message-ID: 39276fba.5853010@news.primenet.com

Dianetics Day

An anonymous poster described the annual Dianetics Day event, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the book Dianetics. "The most relevant new was that Miscavige was absent. This is the first time since 1989 that I saw an event without Miscavige. The master of ceremonies was Heber himself! The event went on for about 2 hours talking of the usual 'big expansion' around the world. The PR was overwhelming and the video was filled with graphs going up the ceiling and beyond. "As an example of the PR tricks that were used there were the stats of Solo NOTs (OT VII) well done hours. As sure you all knows ALL the OTs VII of the planet had to redo that Bridge level. In PT all the OTs VII are again auditing themselves on OT VII using the tech improvement that Golden Age of Tech brought in 1996. In 1997 it was said that NO one of the OTs VII had gained the real EP of that level and the OTs had to redo their courses to really learn to use the meter and the other solo-auditing techs before redoing their OT VII auditing. "Then the event talked longly about new place of expansion like Bangla Desh and Hungary. In Hungary was born the first class V org of the East. When Scientology enter a country first it expands because it delivers only div 6 services, but the 'hard-sell' and 'nothing else matters' attitude the trend reverses and the expansion stops." Message-ID: 39253707.0@news.dada.it

Germany

Taz reported on May 13th that there are no nondenominational counseling centers in Germany. "Questions about a sect which is not Scientology? Looking for help on the theme of Satanism, but no great desire to call up the church? You're out of luck. Because the only non-denominational counselling center in Hamburg, the 'Arbeitsbereich Weltanschauungen und religioese Gruppierungen' at the Hamburg Work Community for the protection of Children and Youth, Inc. was dissolved at the end of March. The Work Group on Scientology of the Interior Agency is supposed to take over the task. That still has to go through the Senate, though, and until then there will not be any counselling. "The former staff at the counselling center will not be transferred: obviously there are differences between them and Ursula Caberta, Director of the Work Group on Scientology. A Scientology counselor is supposed to get further training and take over the job, said Susanne Fischer of the Interior Agency. 'We have already been helping in the work, now I also want the position,' Caberta justified the reorganization." Hamburger Abendblatt reported on May 17th that Scientology has looked at governmental files in the state of Schleswig-Holstein. "The director of Scientology's 'human rights office,' Ingo Lehmann, has spent the last couple of days in ministries, and especially in the state sect commissioner's office, peering at several hundred proceedings and comments about Scientology. Now he is very well able to say what has been going on in the past, Lehmann said happily afterwards. "This type of research by the controversial organization is thanks to the new, extensive freedom of information law which the Schleswig-Holstein state assembly decided upon several months ago. Agencies may only block off that which contains personal data or proceedings in process, or that which would put internal security at risk. The only other place which has such a liberal law is Brandenburg. That is where Lehmann studied files last Friday. "Lehman finally got to see 36 folders, and according to Knothe's estimate, about 80 percent of the contents, including brochures, opinions and press articles about Scientology. Comments by the administration were only revealed if they were not confidential. As an example, Knothe named an inquiry from the Education Ministry for brochures which had showed up in schools. Documents not revealed included those for the cabinet, letters to other states and the federal government, as well as written, personal statements such as those from former Scientologists. He had run into much which he already knew, said Lehmann, for example he found his own letters of protest. 13 proceedings interested him so much that he had them copied. That is also permitted by law." Message-ID: Pine.LNX.3.96.1000515163908.120C-100000@darkstar.zippy Message-ID: Pine.LNX.3.96.1000517151902.118A-100000@darkstar.zippy

The Guardian published a profile on artist and Scientologist Gottfried

Helnwein on May 16th. "Helnwein, 52, is a master of the scandalous and the art of shocking. The artist Robert Crumb once said of him: 'Helnwein is a very fine artist and one sick motherfucker.' He earned his first gallery show in the 70s by driving around his native Vienna dressed in Nazi uniform, his head bandaged, fake blood trickling from his mouth. It caught the eye of an art dealer who signed him up and has remained faithful to Austria's enfant terrible ever since. "He has been open to various philosophies and teachings, he says, but the Scientology claim is one that he passionately denies, adding: 'It's as if the German psyche thrives on witchhunts'. He took his complaint to Germany's constitutional court, which last November ruled that Helnwein and Scientology could no longer be mentioned in the same breath. ('Please write mainly about the art and not about the Scientology,' he pleaded at the end of our interview.) Partially as a result of the hate campaign against him, three years ago, Helnwein upped and left Germany with wife, Renate and their four children." Message-ID: 3938e00f.21935080@news.primenet.com

Gold Base

The Riverside Press Enterprise reported that a construction vehicle at Scientology's Gold Base near Hemet, California was involved in a fatal car accident "A l6 year old San Jacinto girl returning from Bible study class was killed when the car she was driving collided with a tractor on Gilman Springs Road, authorities said. Ashlee Shanner, a l0th grader at Calvary Christian school in Banning, was killed instantly Wednesday when the tractor's bucket smashed through the front windshield of the 1989 Mustang she was driving and struck her in the head. "The tractor, driven by 34 year old Thomas Nove of Moreno Valley, was either crossing or traveling on the two lane road when it was struck by the Mustang, Nolte said. The accident occurred on a straight section of the road, but the Mustang had just driven over a small rise and Ashlee had little time to react, Nolte said. There were about 30 feet of skid marks left by the Mustang. Nolte said there was no warning lights, flares or construction workers to guide motorists around the tractor. "Nove, who was not injured, was working for a contracting company hired by Golden Era to do some work at the facility. The name of the firm was not available Thursday, Golden Era is a film studio owned by the church of Scientology. Golden Era General Manager Ken Hoden said none of his employees were involved in the incident. The work being done is within the facility and not on the road, he said. He did not know why the tractor was on the road or whether work was being done when the accident occurred. He said there is some paving that is being done within the facility." Message-ID: 8g7jvv$27iq@edrn.newsguy.com

Keith Henson

Keith Henson posted a decision from Judge Whyte this week, denying his motion to reconsider Keith's copyright violation decision due to illegal activities by Scientology. "The basis for defendant's motion is alleged fraud on the court. More specifically, defendant alleges that a campaign of spying and harassment by the Church of Scientology was directed against himself and his one-time attorney, Graham Berry. Defendant argues that this campaign was designed to 'deprive the court of the best efforts of its officer's counsel. Scientology attempted, and to some extent succeeded, in usurping the court's legitimate decision-making authority by exerting improper influence over one of its officers.' "The court is not persuaded that relief from the judgment is warranted. The motion is based largely on the Declaration of Robert J. Cipriano. Cipriano recounts a bizarre series of meetings with Eugene Ingram, a one-time private investigator for the Church of Scientology, during which Ingram allegedly employed a combination of threats and promises to secure Cipriano's assistance in a campaign of harassment against Church opponents. "While these allegations are colorful, they have little to do with the facts of this particular case. Even if an investigator once affiliated with Scientology admitted to Cipriano that he had been spying on attorney Berry, it is entirely unclear how that would relate to the validity of the judgment in this case. In any event, relief is not available in this case because more than one year has elapsed since the entry of judgment." Message-ID: 8g71he$m6e$1@slb7.atl.mindspring.net

Bob Minton

The judge in Bob Minton's battery case issued a ruling that a wide variety of evidence about Scientology and its Fair Game policy can be introduced. In addition, the prosecutors are barred from introducing video they planned to use in the case. "This court cannot rule on any unnamed and yet to be described corporate policy, practice, belief, doctrine or dogma of the Church of Scientology and, therefore limits this ruling only to the alleged 'fair game policy'. As to all other policies of the Church of Scientology, unless and until any such other policy is identified, described and shown to be relevant and not unfairly prejudicial, any ruling by this court on such policy is hereby reserved. "The Defendant contends that evidence demonstrating this policy, the Victim's knowledge of this policy, as well as the Defendant's knowledge and belief that this policy exists, and that the Victim, on the day in question, was either acting in conformity with this policy, or was believed by Defendant to be acting in conformity with it, or both, is material to his theories of self-defense and/or accident. In addition, Defendant asserts that he is entitled to cross-examine State's witnesses on this policy and should be given wide latitude to develop the motives behind any witness' testimony in this regard. "Defendant contends that his belief that the Victim was acting in conformity with what he believed was the Church of Scientology's 'fair game policy' on the day in question, explains his actions on that day and goes to the very heart of his theory of self-defense and/or accident. Upon establishing his theory of defense, a defendant is permitted to present evidence to support it. Accordingly, assuming the proper predicate can be laid, testimony and other evidence of the alleged 'fair game policy' of the Church of Scientology will be admissible as relevant evidence. "Videos of the 1998 Boston, Massachusetts incident and the July, 1999 Clearwater, Florida incident depicting the Defendant and other members of the Church of Scientology are also admissible as being relevant to: 1) Defendant's state of mind at the time of the incident; 2) Defendant's theories of self-defense and lack of intent; and 3) Defendant's theory that, because of the Church of Scientology's alleged 'fair game policy', the subject battery was not unconsented to but was, instead the desired result. "However, neither the California video, wherein neither the Defendant nor the Victim are depicted, nor the inflammatory video entitled 'Yo Mamma' wherein the Defendant, but not the Victim, is depicted, are admissible even though tenuously relevant because, in addition to their probative value being outweighed by unfair prejudice, they are cumulative and therefore lack any serious probative value." "The State seeks to limit the Defendant from any mention of the Lisa McPherson Trust, the pending civil suit in Hillsborough County involving Lisa McPherson and the criminal investigation into the death of Lisa McPherson pending in Pinellas County. Given, at the time of the incident, and in other similar incidents which have been herein ruled admissible in evidence, that Defendant was engaged in a demonstration outside the Church of Scientology for the purpose of protesting the Lisa McPherson matter, these matters are so inextricably intertwined with this incident that it would be unduly burdensome to limit any mention of them." Message-ID: cpkaiscbu3bogdhvqk6vtt4brvncfdcrtb@4ax.com

Protest Summary

Klaus Wechselberger protested this week at the Scientology presentation at the Vienna, Austria stock exchange building. "From May 1 to 7 Scientology is making a self-presentation at an exhibit in the Viennese stock exchange. Actual stock exchange business no longer takes place there; the building serves only to house restaurants and conventions anymore. We had our 'Scientology Kills' T-shirts on. Two big banners were stretched out between the columns, and walking back and forth on the sidewalk were women in Scientology t-shirts (including Sujata Wagner, who was wearing a sari) handing out leaflets with the exhibition program and the cheap sort of yellow roses. "Andreas Boeck said to me that I was not permitted inside and that I was explicitly being turned away. Upon hearing that, my companion and I rearranged our clothing so that the words 'Scientology Kills' were visible. I was standing back on the steps and speaking with the sect commissioner. Beside him was standing Harald Janisch, the Austrian speaker of the Moon sect, with him was Peter Zoehrer, also a Moonie. Boeck said that I would have to get off the steps, because they still belonged to the stock exchange. So I stepped over to the sidewalk. "With a camera in hand, Eveline Aigner rushed at us and threatened to call the police on us. We gave her to understand that we were not afraid of the police, that we were not doing anything illegal, nor did we have anything in mind. After about a quarter hour, a uniformed policeman arrived who was very friendly to me. He said that we should stand on the other side of the narrow side street, which had the advantage that we were now better visible for the people waiting for the streetcar. Naturally the police officer received a leaflet/ "Report from Inside: Peter Fleischer from the Vienna Org spoke, so did Janet Weiland. Then the ladies Weiland and Goellner-Sweet most cordially entertained the audience. Goellner-Sweet is a staff worker at the U.S. Embassy who enthusiastically contributed her writing about state measures to a study group in September of 1999 at an international meeting about sects. During this speech, the great enthusiasm could be heard in the form of applause and shouts." Bruce Pettycrew protested at the Mesa, Arizona org this week. "Kathy and I picketed from 8:30 to 9:30 Saturday AM. The weather was very pleasant, spring is cooler than usual in the desert this year. Approximately twenty minutes after going into the mission, one of the women from the SUV came out ant sat in the vehicle. A few minutes later one of the men came out to join her. They just sat for a while, then they re-parked the car to avoid the picket or the sun, whatever. They were still there when we left." Gregg Hagglund described a protest in Toronto this week. "Toronto Demo Report, May 13, 2000. Demonstrators: Dave Palter, Mike Argue, Kaeli, Chris Wood, Gregg Hagglund, Ron Sharp. Still photos by Tom Cat. Demo support and catering by GranFalloon. Flyer Count: Wulfen Specials = 100. Roland Xenus = 350. "The point person usually functions as 'the town crier' and I usually do this. On the advice of counsel involved in legal matters opposing the Co$ and at the urging of numerous ex-scns we had decided to do two things differently: first, no 'Town Crier'; second, ignore the Co$ goon squads as much as was practical. "The Goon Squad of OT3s and better had apparently made themselves invisible to me! I really didn't see much of the Co$ Goons and Goonettes all day. Just momentary glimpses when they committed acts of mischief, theft or attempted assault. I have consulted my audio and video tapes of the day and I do realise they were there fairly consistently, but I didn't really notice at the time. I placed my sign on my shoulder so it would face vehicular traffic an walked all morning back and forth. Someone kept grabbing the handle of my sign and waggling it, so I mentioned this to the Police Officer and that ceased. Later still a thief tried to steal my Cel phone, dropped it and was forced to make a big show of giving it to the Police Officer. This same thief unsuccessfully tried to steal my on site copy of OT3 and this too was reported to the Police Officer. The Officer had apparently made it plain to the Goon Squad that swarming and blocking of Demonstrators would not be tolerated. Theft, public mischief, trespass upon demonstrators equipment, and intimidation of demonstrators would not be tolerated by this Officer. "The worst incident of the morning was an reckless bit of horseplay by someone named McCoy. He gave me a hip as I passed behind him on the street edge of the sidewalk. I was knocked off balance and into Yonge St. It took me three or four quick steps to recover my balance which put me in the centre of the first lane of traffic. "The cleaning activities resulted in a constantly wet sidewalk covered with soggy Co$ propaganda and Black PR packs. Also cars parked on the side street were covered with dirt and filth sprayed onto them by the inept use of a powerwasher. Someone running a power spray was washing dirt off the sidewalks and into the separation cracks, then hitting the dirt in the cracks with the power spray sending it airborne everywhere. This noisy operation continued all day in an area about 8 by 24." "Lynton" described a protest held at the Canberra, Australia org. "On Sunday a colleague and I picketed the Canberra Co$. Actually, I did the picketing and the other fellow was my 'bodyguard' in case things grew nasty. Ten minutes and six flyers later, there was still no activity from inside the Org. I pointed the camera aloft and said 'Come out and be on Xenu TV! Xenu TV for you!' At first a side-burned man in Sea Org uniform started scrutinising me inside the Org doorway for thirty seconds, then quickly disappeared after I trained the camera on him. He emerged later and started the 'Nazi Germany' argument, implying that I'm a Nazi. Interesting, his answer to a totalitarian regime is to belong to one himself! Most of my footage is of his hands as he refused to be filmed. "Shortly afterwards a woman dressed in a leather trenchcoat, armed with a camera and a JVC camcorder, took at least four photographs of me (without my permission). 'Why do you want pictures of me?' I asked. 'They're for my gallery.' she replied." Message-ID: Pine.LNX.3.96.1000515163746.120A-100000@darkstar.zippy Message-ID: p_AT4.117830$U4.916580@news1.rdc1.az.home.com Message-ID: k3kuhsctn1uj3flka4fpkdfm6ajm1djdau@4ax.com Message-ID: pXYT4.555$c5.1311@newsfeeds.bigpond.com

Zizacs

Jim Beebe reported that the Zizacs have obtained their refund from the Chicago org. "Bill and Barbara Zizic, the Chicago dentists who were swindled and defrauded by the Marcus Group and the Church of Scientology, and stormed the Chicago Org demanding a refund, have, reportedly, received a full refund of over $100,000 and have signed a Gag agreement. The Zizics have cut off all communication. The cult is paying off refunds in installments." Message-ID: 20000518160550.11133.00000059@ng-cc1.aol.com


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