I hadn't been able to set up a really good pub, so I met at the station bar with John Ritson and the Big Fellah. I was concerned that we got to the bOrg by noon, and we had just arrived and started unpacking on the last bong of twelve. I gave the 5 or 6 people who came out of the door a good load of slogans un-amplified. Hartley was already at the site, and Jens shortly after; no Martin, or Roland. A woman turned up who had relatives in the cult, and later on a couple who know Bonnie and Richard. We had done a fair amount of preparation work, and I met the police earlier in the week to walk the area. Soon we had our banner up: $CIENTOLOGY SAYS YOU'RE FULL OF DEAD SPACE ALIENS, the boom-box going, and Duke the Dog parked opposite the Org. We were quite enthusiastic so carried on until about 12:30 or 40. We took a short lunch break --- down the ring road to Saint Martins and along for 100 yards to an old haunt. Full of shave-headed Irish guys, who were friendly enough, but mainly it was full. We spent half an hour or so there; when I looked around earlier I had gone down back roads, but we saw a small back-road pub on the way down which would do better for afterwards. Hartley and another picketer had decided to stay at the bOrg with some gear, despite my misgivings.... apparently the clams came out be 3s and 4s to harrangue them once the picket was down to two. But, back to business.
INNER RING ROAD
(ELEVATED )
| | | : :
| | |'''''''''''Carrs'Lane :..........
| | |''''''':::::'''''''': BULL ST
| | | park: : :''''''''''
| | |Church ::::: : :
| | |'''''''''''''''''''New Meeting St (alley)
| | |'''''''': C.Pk_.-''': :
| | | [O].-' .demo : :
| | |_.-' '''''''''' :
| | | Albert-''''''''''': :
| | |-' St H. : HIGH STREET
Most of the demo was on the "wedge" by the round flower bed, with Hartley over the road from us on the narrow walkway. Later we saw body routers go up into the alley end of new meeting street and sent two people to counter them. Later in the afternoon, leafleters were out: we got a lot more leaflets accepted by the public, theirs were all over the floor. Towards the end two clams were leafleting at the end of the alleyway, where it comes into a small outdoor carpark, and this is a very good place for acceptance of leaflets. Damian had me intercept the people with "the other side of the story" when they exited across and he caught those who exited downwards, and after a few minutes I upped this to three people with me leafleting on the High St end of the alley as well, which they did not like. Police appeared on two occasions; a couple who knew all about the demo earlier on. Later, the same guy who had been a pain about the sound system before turned up, I told him how it had all been gone through at length with planning etcetera and he eventually gave up.
All in all, we enjoyed our demo and the clams seemed rather put out to have us there.
Dave Bird wrote: > Hartley and another > picketer had decided to stay at the bOrg with some gear, despite > my misgivings.... apparently the clams came out be 3s and 4s to > harrangue them once the picket was down to two. But, back to business.
We were waiting for a couple of new picketers who weren't sure when they would arrive. First there was one, then two, then four plucked up courage to confront SPs. Got them outnumbered, heh heh, and one of them a woman! We asked them to go away - we weren't picketing, just chatting, so it seemed a reasonable request to us. They went away.
> Later in the afternoon, leafleters were out: we got a > lot more leaflets accepted by the public, theirs were all > over the floor.
Let's face it, their leaflets are litho printed and well designed, ours are inkjet and smudge in the rain. And well designed, sorry Roland! Of course it was raining - this is England innit. On the other hand their leaflets are remarkably daft and when they start handing them out our leafleting stats go up, so I think on balance we get the Win. Don't tell OSA folks - we like them spending money printing leaflets!
A young lady stopped and said "yes, I was in Scientology for a few months, then I realised what a mistake it was. Well done - keep it up!" Makes it all worth while.
In article <7faqhu$7oo$1@news5.svr.pol.co.uk>, Hartley Patterson <hpttrsn@REMOVE.ME.vossnet.co.uk> writes >> Later in the afternoon, leafleters were out: we got a >> lot more leaflets accepted by the public, theirs were all >> over the floor. > >Let's face it, their leaflets are litho printed and well designed, ours >are inkjet and smudge in the rain. And well designed, sorry Roland! Of >course it was raining - this is England innit. On the other hand their >leaflets are remarkably daft and when they start handing them out our >leafleting stats go up, so I think on balance we get the Win. Don't tell >OSA folks - we like them spending money printing leaflets!
And what leaflets! This one was entitled "Luckily not everyone listens to the cautionary, carping criticism of those who fear competition". Merkins may remember Spiro Agnew and the "nattering nabobs of negativism". We must be causing serious enturbulation, in order for them to spend money producing a leaflet criticising "claptrap from the yapping jaws of prepaid rumor mongers whose job it is to keep people ignorant and confused."
But the leaflet is also trying to sell "Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought" which "contains the basics of SCIENTOLOGY. Real answers that you can use right now. No mumbo jumbo, no human sacrifice, no initiation."
NO HUMAN SACRIFICE? This must be Scientology's concept of a Unique Selling Proposition. "Join us because we are a 'church' without human sacrifice". Are people deserting the Methodists in droves because of human sacrifice? Or is this an example of "the overt speaking loudly in accusation"? Why should Scientology be so keen to deny that it is engaged in human sacrifice? Is there something we ought to know?
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