Scientology is wasting more of its "parishioner's" money.
Whereas the previous London 'What is Scientology' Exhibition was in a
high-traffic shopping area (Oxford Street) in a between-leases shop,
presumably fairly cheap, the Birmingham exhibition a fortnight ago was
in
the International Convention Centre. and now they have returned to
London,
in the QEII Conference Centre in Westminster (opposite Westminster
Abbey).
This venue is normally used for high-profile corporate announcements
and
government conferences. High security, very expensive, and rather off
the
beaten track. There is no direct passing traffic in front of the door,
just
some tourists on the way to Westminster Abbey or Parliament Square
going by on the far side of a raised grass triangle in front of the
entrance.
A group of UK Suppressives (or is it PTS Type IIIs?) turned up at about
12:30, parked themselves on the nearest non-private roadway with boom-
box, helium balloons and Duke the dog, and watched the non-spectacle.
The Jive Aces were playing on the grass triangle. They attracted a
gaggle
of passing tourists, but hardly anybody was enticed into the
Conference
Centre, and those few that were, were the result of body-routing rather
than
spontaneous enthusiasm.
The Scientologists were handing out vague leaflets (quite useful for
the
tourists as they contained a map of the area) and we were counter-
leafletting on both sides of the road. One Scientology child was sent
out to
beg for two balloons so she could burst them (it would have been more
impressive if she had used OT powers). They photographed us, took
videos, and spent a lot of time shouting into mobile phones. After
about
three hours the Jive Aces packed up, but they were obviously frustrated
after Scientology's lack of success at this high-profile event, and one
of the
Jive Aces, stalked over to the picketers and, purple-faced with rage,
started shouting obscenities. Eventually he started staring at Jens
from a
distance of about two centimetres. Other of the Jive Aces crew realised
that with the concentration of CCTV cameras in the area, assault would
be
difficult to deny, and ushered him away. We pointed him out as a prime
example of the failure of the "Communications Courses" and suggested
that he needed to pay for more courses. Perhaps the thought of having
to
shell out even more money upset him so much he rushed over again and
started screaming "Paedophiles". We suggested that he obviously had
some issues about the subject (had he perhaps encountered paedophile
and Scientologist Donald Strawn?), but he was by now too incoherent to
communicate at all, and he was fetched back by his handlers again.
The Jive Aces drove off, and we left the deserted scene, though no
doubt
disconsolate Scientologists were still hoping to attract new visitors
to their
exhibition.
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