VIDEO: Independent Scientologists protest at Scientology HQ in Los Angeles
Victoria Palmer’s organized protest to “restore Scientology” took place yesterday, and we were fortunate that an Underground Bunker reader was there to record the occasion.
We think that as small as this protest was, it was still pretty historic as far as the annals of Scientology go, and we think Palmer was a lot of fun to watch. She’s clearly very sincere about trying to “restore” Scientology to what founder L. Ron Hubbard intended, and we figure it took some real guts to march right down L. Ron Hubbard Way accusing Scientology and its leader, David Miscavige of covering up crimes.
From the very beginning, in the early 1950s, there have always been adherents of L. Ron Hubbard’s “technology” who broke away from his official movement to practice his ideas on their own.
These independent Scientologists, or Freezoners, have come and gone, with an occasional attempt to organize actual brick-and-mortar churches of their own. (There’s the former Haifa mission that thrives there under former Church of Scientology members Dani and Tami Lemberger, for example.)
But we told Victoria Palmer that we don’t recall independent Scientologists attempting what she did: A direct protest of the Church of Scientology and its leader David Miscavige by practicing Freezoners at Scientology’s Los Angeles headquarters, known as ‘Pacific Area Command’ to Scientologists, and ‘Big Blue’ to the public.
“I decided that it was time for us to unite and stand for the truth about Scientology,” she told us.
Conspicuous by their absence were any Scientologists on the street at L. Ron Hubbard Way, which was probably intentional. They were probably kept indoors to make sure they didn’t get exposed to the protest.
But Palmer and her crew gamely pressed on, and we’re interested in your thoughts about how they did.
Bonus video
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Seeing those buildings and the street brings back so many (unpleasant) memories. I guess that confirms I don’t miss it at all.
In other news, after the story about Norman Starkey passing away four years ago, it got me to wondering about whether my mom was still around or not. Of course she’s in her 70’s and still in the Sea Org. I reached out to one of my family members to find out. Well yeah, she’s still around and kicking. I was curious what they talk about…. Of course its “good roads, good weather”. I could hear the groan of frustration. Then he went on to explain that she always tries to call within a certain window of time and if he misses it, trying to call her back puts him at the main switchboard and he gets the third degree interrogation about why he’s trying to reach her. They don’t just forward the call to her.
I guess those Sea Org members are just so, so busy changing the world, and family members need to step out of the way and allow the Sea Org members, who have sacrificed everything, to get on with their very important posts.
Ugh. What a total waste.
Going back 10 years L. Ron Hubbard way was bustling with activities and the idea of a few squirrels trying to intimidate the expanding cherch would have been inconceivable.
A decade later the central organizations LA Org, ASHO and the Advanced Org are a bastions of cowering sycophants. I am surprised that Julian Swartz was not out there squirrel busting. This goes to show just how effective journalists and bloggers like Tony have been. Keep up the great work.