Protesting Scientology 2024
by Jeff Jacobsen

Why Protest

You've heard crazy things about Scientology. You wonder how such an organization could exist if it's actually harming so many people. Something should be done about it. Somebody should protest. Perhaps you feel the pull to protest such a dangerous group yourself. Where do you go from there?

This article is to help you succeed at protesting Scientology, should you choose to do so. Just understand that it might be a bumpy ride. Scientology is wealthy, and they have over 50 years' experience making life miserable for critics. But fortunately, many people have gone before you. I began writing against Scientology in the 1980s, and protesting on the street starting in 1995. The following is from my study of protests from other groups around the world, as well as my own experience protesting against Scientology. At the end are many resources for more information. Protesting is an effective, legal, and relatively simple action that can bring big results. But there are good and bad ways to do it.

Prepare Yourself

What do you want to accomplish? Do you want to inform the public about the dangers of Scientology? Do you want to send a hopeful message to Scientologists? Who will be there to see you? Think through why and whether you should protest.

There are some people who shouldn't protest. If you are easily provoked, easily frightened, are seeking fame for yourself, or if you want to protest for revenge or out of hate, stay home. You'll probably just make things worse for yourself and for the cause. If you want to rush out without first doing some research yourself on Scientology, cults in general, and the previous history of protesting the cult, it will be a confusing and unproductive time for you.

First, protesting in front of a Scientology property will probably mean that you will encounter Scientologists who will try to intimidate or scare you. At times there has even been physical confrontation. If a protester strikes back or even strikes first, then the protester is shown to be no better than what he is protesting against. Thus, you need to be able to have self-control.

Second, Scientology has its own internal language and world view. At least study some cursory summaries of Dianetics and Scientology before you go. This site is a good start.

Third, if you've never protested before, you should perhaps watch some videos and read up on previous successful protests. I particularly promote the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi from India, which I call Gandhi Tech. Gandhi successfully wrested the nation of India away from British colonialism, and influenced many other movements, such as the US's civil rights movement. His theories of peaceful protest have proven their worth in many countries around the world (though they don't work in every situation).

Personal behavior during a protest is important.  Your goal is to show Scientologists that the outside world is not as they're told - full of crazy, misinformed people just out for themselves.  You may be just a slice of the outside world that staff get to see.  Be kind.  Pedestrians passing by probably have no idea what your protest is about and will hopefully be curious.  If they see crazy, misinformed people just out for themselves doing something in front of an Org, that will not be very interesting. 

So, do some self-evaluation, study up, and read on.

Find Allies

Some people protest alone but I absolutely don't recommend this. Another person can be recording what's happening in case problems occur, and a few people together can notice more of what's going on, help each other out, and be more noticed than a single protester. It's just smarter.

So, how do you find others? Check social media and google to see if there are already people protesting in your town. At this writing there are several people known as the Squirrel Squad, or SP-TV who post on Youtube almost daily from several different locations. There are several web sites of ex-Scientologists who might be able to connect you to others near you.

Talk to relatives and friends to see if they have an interest in protesting.

How to Organize?

It is possible to be pretty anarchic about being “organized.” The Squirrel Squad essentially just seem to gravitate toward one spot by seeing if anyone else is up to something. They ask around to see what others are up to, then decide whether they will join or go do something else. There are advantages to this, but I just personally prefer preparation.

You'll probably start out with 2 to 7 people. Get together to specifically find consensus on a goal, a method, and a general plan. Consider any special needs in the group, such as help with transportation, food allergies or medical conditions, time constraints, etc.

Will you be strategizing down to the smallest detail, or just winging it? Probably somewhere in between. It is not possible to predict all the crazy things that can happen at a protest, so over-planning is possibly a waste of time. Being flexible and inventive is a sign of a good protest.

Another thing I think is important is to have fun. Anonymous especially proved that starting in 2008. They strove to be clever and humorous in all their events.

Supplies/Tools (and what NOT to bring)

Transportation should be worked out ahead of time. Sometimes we met at a location away from the protest spot and carpooled in a van. In this way our vehicles were safer (hopefully) and the cult could not get our license plate numbers. But then, we usually forgot to make sure we weren't followed back to our parking spot, since we're not trained spies or anything.

Clothing is something to think about. At our first protest we all had identical yellow t-shirts with huge “SP” on the back. “Suppressive Persons” are people who do something against Scientology. So we went with that. Some people have worn costumes like squirrels. Or you could dress according to a theme, such as Navy Day to commemorate “Commodore Hubbard” and the Sea Org. Comfortable shoes are important for standing and walking for long periods.

Bring sunscreen, and a hat.

Almost everyone today has a cell phone with built-in camera. Be sure to make use of them. But try not to be too aggressive toward the public or Scientologists by getting in their space. Your goal is to win people to your side, not aggravate them.

Water is important and might not be readily available where you are protesting. Plan to have water handy.

Signs are one of the best ways to get your message out. I made a video on one good way to make signs here. You can either get them professionally made, which is somewhat expensive, or just carefully write out your message by hand. Be sure to make them 2-sided and not too heavy.

Flyers are good to hand out to passersby who may be wondering what you are doing. Remember that most public going by will not even know what is going on when they see you. A flyer can explain why Scientology is dangerous and provide resources for further information.

Some more interesting supplies might be chalk for writing a message on the sidewalk (I don't know of any city rule against this, but check), or a portable Gobo projector, which shines a message on a blank wall you might have near you at a night event.  I don't know of any rules against a Gobo either so long as you're just shining on a wall and not some windows.

Do NOT bring anything that could be construed as a weapon. The police should readily understand that you will be nonviolent and that you came prepared only for a peaceful event, at least on your side.

Interacting With The Authorities

Find out about the local laws in your area that pertain to protesting. There can be rules about noise, such as whether you can use a bullhorn or recorded music. There can be rules about when and where you can protest. Some of these are different in different communities. If you don't know where to ask, contact your police non-emergency number and let them know what you plan and ask for some guidance.

There are some rules that are pretty much universal. You don't want to trespass on Scientology property. City sidewalks are considered free speech areas in the US, so stay on those. Do not block driveways or pedestrian traffic. These are common sense but need to be kept in mind.

You should also contact the city to see if someone else is planning to use the area you want to use. For instance, there could be a parade permit for the area where the sidewalks might be restricted. And actually, after you get the hang of basic protesting, your group could apply for a city permit to use a certain area for a certain event as well.

The police will be the arbiters of any altercations that may happen if one party calls them. I believe it is best to talk to the police department ahead of any protest to let them know what your basic plans are and that you will be following all laws and peacefully protesting. If you are planning civil disobedience, which I won't be covering in this article, I would even tell them that. Your local police may be biased toward Scientology, but they are still duty-bound to adhere to the laws themselves, so I believe it is best to be as cooperative as possible with them.

If something happens that the police are called to your protest, be cooperative with them even though you may believe they are in the wrong. You can bring up their mistakes if any after the event.

Interacting With The Media

Local radio, TV, newspapers, and other media can be force multipliers in getting your word out. They are also a method to archive your event. However, reporters are not your employees. They will cover the event as they see it, which may differ what you would be expecting. For that reason, it can be a crap shoot whether informing them about your event will turn out to be positive. From my experience, it is well worth it to contact the media and give them the basics of your event – where it is, when it is, who will be there, why you are protesting, what you are protesting. Give them factual information and resources to make their job easier. Give them contact information for at least 2 protesters in case they want followup or to interview someone ahead of time.

What if the media shows up unexpectedly? Just plan ahead of time who will talk to them to let them know what's going on.  The designatd person should be able to clearly explain what you are doing and why, with quick resources for them (perhaps one of your flyers?).  If you have further plans, or if there are other protests going on simultaneously, be able to give directions for that.

What to Expect from Scientology

Scientology doesn't want anyone “joking and degrading” their organization. But they also don't want their members interacting with Suppressive Persons. So you will probably see two reactions from Scientologists. Staff and publics will probably do their best to avoid you. But then there will be others who will be assigned to deal with you. Perhaps they will just “bull bait” you, meaning they will belittle you and try to scare you off. Or someone could claim to be a protester and join your group. These people are usually easy to spot, since they are mostly out to either get information about the protesters or steer the protesters into bad behavior.

Scientology is wealthy. They can afford lawyers, private investigators, etc. This portion of Scientology's reaction may not come right away. But if they feel you are enough of a threat, you will be followed, investigated, and perhaps even sued. You may think hey, I haven't done anything wrong so they can't sue me. You would be severely wrong. L. Ron Hubbard wrote that “The purpose of the suit is to harass and discourage rather than to win. The law can be used to easily harass, and enough harassment on somebody who is simply on the thin edge anyway . . . will generally be sufficient to cause his professional decease. If possible, of course, ruin him utterly.” So their use of the law is not to punish you for doing something wrong. It's to shut you up. Scientology has been since 1950 attacking their perceived enemies. They are very experienced with this.

Plan the Event

What day should you pick to protest? There are a few considerations that will make the day more productive. If you pick a Scientology holiday, there will more likely be more Scientologists around to see your signs. You could also pick a date that is of importance to critics, such as the anniversary of the death of Lisa McPherson. Weekends are often better than weekdays to protest, partly because those in your group will not have to take off work. This is something that your group will have to reach a consensus on that is best for the most participants. Plan far enough ahead so people can organize their calendars for that date.

Check to see if any other group is planning some event in the area. This may not mean a conflict, though. At one Anonymous protest in Phoenix, a Gay Pride parade went right by us with no problem, and in fact we probably had more people see us because of that.

Where should you protest? At a Scientology-related property, of course. Your message is amplified by where you are and makes a connection with the public for what you are doing. You can, of course, move to different properties if that is useful, or even split up the group to cover more than one location.

Consider important aspects of the chosen location. Are there restrooms available? Is parking a problem around the property? Will the public and/or Scientologists see you there? Does the city have any restrictions for the public to be there? Are there restaurants close for a party after?

As I mentioned earlier, if you could all come to the protest via public transport or collectively in a van, that would be a good choice. Other protesters have had their cars tampered with and definitely their license plates written down during a protest. If you could carpool or something to avoid such possibilities that would be a good choice.

What about security? There is strength in numbers and especially strength in everyone having a camera. If some provocateur chooses to act up during the event, be sure to record their actions and their identities as best you can. Make a record of what happened and who the witnesses were. Security to me at a protest is being able to show that you were peaceful and lawful in all your actions. It is knowing who your fellow protesters are and that you can trust them to have your back. And don't go around alone.

What if you have a big number of protesters planning to attend? This can be a problem at times. In Clearwater if we had over so many people, we had to get insurance to cover the city in case of any problems. I don't believe we ever went over that number, although it was difficult to give an exact number of who would be attending. Locals came that had read about the event in the paper, and we had no idea how many of them would show up, for instance. The more people there are, the more unruly things can get. I don't think there's a magic number of too many people, but it is something to keep in mind.

Problems That Could Crop Up

Weather is something you can't control. If it rains, flyers and signs can be damaged. You could choose an alternate date ahead of time in case the weather for the initial date is just too bad.

There could be nearby conflicting events that overshadow your event, but this can usually be investigated ahead of time.

Could you have an infiltrator? Sure. We did. But we were pretty open about everything so the dude didn't really get much out of protesting with us. And actually we were tipped off ahead of time that he was a spy.

Could a protester do something stupid like hit somebody? Absolutely. But if something like that happens it should be made immediately clear that the group is against that. If someone has broken the law, cooperate fully and instantly with the police. If someone was trying to start some physical conflict during an Anonymous protest, the Anons would all sit down, showing that they were not having any part of the action and making it obvious who the perpetrator was.  Even point at the offender.

Could Scientology try to block your access to an area? Absolutely. We had Scientologists doing their yard work, power washing the sidewalk, even tearing up their sidewalk, in order to prevent us from protesting at certain properties. You need to expect problems and be flexible for unforeseen circumstances.

Aftermath

So how did it go? Any problems? Unforeseen activities from Scientology? Now is the time to debrief over pizza and get a feel for how things went. Maybe take notes for future ideas.

Do you want to plan another event? Now you have some experience and can somewhat know what to expect. Just know too that you need to be alert. Just because the Scientologists at the event seemed to be afraid of you, that doesn't mean Scientology is going to avoid you. Keep an eye out for private investigators. And keep in touch with each other.

Conclusion

I obviously haven't covered every aspect of protesting Scientology. This is just sort of a primer to get you in the right direction. It is quite possible to have more ad hoc protests with much less pre-planning. It's also possible to have some sort of full-blown event with city permits, hired professional videographers, etc. that would require much more detail and planning. Hopefully this article and the following resources will put you on the right path whichever way you choose to organize.

From my studies and personal observations, Gandhi's theories on peaceful protest are the guiding star for how to conduct any protest. Direct confrontation using nonviolence and concern for the opposing side will for me always be the proper way to protest. In this way, your message is what will be delivered clearly, even though Scientology will try to silence it.

Addendum

This US court ruling should concern us all.  The states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas are now more legally dangerous for organizers of ANY protest.  If you are an organizer, and any yahoo walking by your protest decides to cause violence, you the organizer might be held liable for that violence.  So now organizers must be much more careful in laying out plans.  Each plan must include clarifying as many ways as possible that any violence will be a violation of your intentions and that the violator will be instantly pointed out and ostracized.  I am not a lawyer, but to me this ruling requires emphasizing your nonviolent intentions before an event.  Another recent court opinion, Counterman v. Colorado, seems to contradict this current problem, but again I'm not a lawyer.
What a strange world we live in.

WEB SITES

ADVICE

David Gerard's tips for protesting Scientology

NRDC's tips for safe protesting

Vogue Magazine's Protesting 101

Wired Magazine protesting tips 

ACLU on legal issues about protesting

Jeff's thoughts on Gandhi Tech 

PREVIOUS PROTESTS

Anonymous' Project Chanology

A review of 2 political revolutions 

Protesting in Clearwater in the late 1990s

How the first international protests of Scientology began

VIDEOS

James Lawson workshop from the civil rights movement
“How to Be An Effective Activist: A Training on Nonviolent Action (Extended)”

BOOKS ON PROTESTING

Gandhi: Prisoner of Hope, by Judith M. Brown

The Children, by David Halberstam

A Movement of Movements, by Tom Mertes

Domination and the Art of Resistance, by James C. Scott

Voices of the Arab Spring, by Asaad Al-Saleh

This is an Uprising, by Mark Engler and Paul Engler

QUOTES

"Those who have led trainings around the world know that you cannot export revolution.  Successful nonviolent revolt always depends on local expertise and creativity, with the organizers closest to a struggle developing hybrids of their own.  But you can spread skills and expand knowledge of a craft - and this can have important consequences." [This is an Uprising, by Mark and Paul Engler, p. 84]

"The man has stopped being afraid - and this is precisely the beginning of the revolution."  [Voices of the Arab Spring, by Asaad Al-Saleh, p. 59]

"The least radical step is to criticize some of the dominant stratum for having violated the norms by which they claim to rule; the next most radical step is to accuse the entire stratum of failing to observe the principles of its rule; and the most radical step is to repudiate the very principles by which the dominant stratum justifies its dominance." [Domination and the Arts of Resistance, by James C. Scott, p. 92]

"Our success or failure should be defined by the vision of the world we develop, and the kind of solutions for it we offer, rather than by whether we can tactically out-manoeuvre the most powerful combined police forces in the world..." [A Movement of Movements, by Tom Mertes, p. 184]

"Gandhi was far more concerned with changing people's hearts and attitudes than with attempting to reform the economic order: for him people rather than systems were the core of historical change." [Gandhi: Prisoner of Hope, by Judith M. Brown, p. 205

"There was always a good reason not to go, and it was always going to be a very good reason... if there was no risk, then all of this would have been done a long time ago."  [The Children, by David Halberstam, p. 102]

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