Alex reports: Scientology is loading up pols with propaganda to ban protests

Alex Barnes-Ross told us last week that Scientology is applying for a special legal exception that would ban protests outside its UK headquarters for three years. He attended the first public hearing on the matter last night and sent us this report…

It’s 6pm and I arrive at the Mid Sussex District Council headquarters ahead of a scrutiny committee meeting. On the agenda tonight is Scientology’s application for a ‘Public Spaces Protection Order,’ which would ban protesting outside Saint Hill for a minimum of 3 years. The meeting starts at 7pm, and I am led to the public gallery and settle in. Despite Scientology’s ample opportunity to supply evidence, allegations, and reports to the Council, I will not be given the chance to speak, ask questions, or raise concerns at tonight’s meeting. 

At 6:15pm, Kevin Toogood enters the room. He’s the Council’s Monitoring Officer, an appointed official responsible for ensuring the Council acts within the law and upholds its constitutional duty to ensure democracy is carried out fairly, transparently, and legally. 

He chats to another officer discussing his replacement; he is due to leave his position soon for a new role at a council in the North. The new Monitoring Officer, he says, is a “really good fit” after spending significant time in interim roles at various authorities. “She’s looking for a gentler life,” Toogood explains — referring to the laid-back approach to things Sussex is known for. I’m concerned she may be in for a shock, considering what the next few months are about to bring for the Council.

The meeting starts promptly at 7pm and almost immediately, Councillor Rex Whittaker declares a personal interest in item 10 of the agenda. “I have attended the Saint Hill charity gala in the past, particularly in 2018 when the Church of Scientology made a donation directly to a charity I was supporting in my mayoral year at East Grinstead Town Council, so I propose not to take part in the discussion or any voting thereof.” It was an honourable display of transparency and a stark contrast to how the Town Council have dealt with matters in recent history… For context, when I submitted my complaint about their handling of my concerns and censoring of the public record a Complaints Panel was formed consisting solely of Councillors who featured in Scientology propaganda videos on their website and I had to request an impartial panel — twice, before one was finally formed of Councillors who were not linked to Scientology in any way.

There were several other items on the agenda at today’s meeting and it wasn’t until 7:40pm that we came to item 10: Saint Hill’s application for a Public Spaces Protection Order.

On July 15, Scientology’s lawyer Peter Hodkin made a formal request for the Council to implement a ban on protesting outside Saint Hill, citing Anti-Social Behaviour legislation and the usual combination of claims ranging from harassment to bigotry and religious hatred.

Although the Scrutiny Committee have powers to enforce a PSPO, after speaking with King’s Counsel it was decided the matter would be better dealt with at the cabinet level — meaning more people would be involved in the process and more stringent checks and balances would be put in place to ensure the request is considered in line with legislation and government guidelines.  So today’s meeting was not a vote on whether to issue a ban, but rather a vote on this suggestion, made by the Council’s Deputy Chief Executive having looked at the evidence supplied by Scientology.

Although I had a brief conversation with one of the Council’s assistant directors last week, I have not yet had the opportunity to speak with any of the councillors sitting on the committee — and I certainly haven’t been provided any information relating to the allegations Scientology have made about us or our protest last year. 

Councillor Gary Marsh said in the meeting “I have read and re-read this report and together with the information presented by the Church of Scientology… I think the officers have presented an excellent report and this is just the start of the process and I endorse the proposal the recommendation is sent to the cabinet for the PSPO.”

He’s not wrong that the report produced is extensive. However, it shows there has already been a wealth of information provided by Scientology for Councillors to consider — and it was only after this meeting appeared on the calendar last week that I was asked to provide information on how to contact protestors who may wish to be part of this process.

At one point, Monitoring Officer Kevin Toogood referred to Scientology as a “legally recognised religion,” something I pulled him up on after the meeting had concluded. “It was ruled in the Supreme Court” he told me, to which I corrected him “the buildings were recognised as places of worship, but the Charity Commission ruled Scientology does not benefit the public and it is not recognised as a religious group in the United Kingdom.”

“Legally recognised religion” is straight out of OSA’s briefing document it shares with government officials when matters like this arise. I have seen it before, and it just goes to show the level of correspondence that has preceded today’s events. It’s worrying — Scientology have got a three-month head start on us… and let’s not forget: the Council hasn’t formally asked whether a protest is even going ahead this year. 

This is the start of what will be a very lengthy and arduous battle. The review and consultation period is set to take several months, with a decision expected in January 2025. They plan to monitor any protests that occur this year and engage in a lengthy consultation with “interested parties” — which includes local residents, Scientology and activists and former members. However, as noted in the Council’s report: there is both international and national interest in this matter and the handling of this PSPO will be watched very closely by the world’s media. This is not just a matter of protesting Scientology: it has ramifications that could impact any demonstrations near places of worship and would involve a restriction on our human right to protest and freedom of speech.

For an organisation that claims to promote human rights, Scientology sure are putting a lot of effort into stopping us from exercising our right to assembly.

I hope in the coming days the Council may think to approach me and ask whether we even have plans to protest this year, and if so what that might look like. But until then, I will continue to fight for our freedom of speech with every ounce of my being. I meant it when I said I’m on war footing and I’m not messing about.

— Alex Barnes-Ross

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