Anonymous vs Scientology – June

14th June, 2008 – Protest against Scientology, London

So it’s already the 5th month that Anonymous have been protesting globally against Scientology.  Each month the demonstrators pick an aspect of Scientology that they disagree with, and this month’s campaign was called Operation Sea Arrgh, in response to Scientology’s Sea Org.

Naturally, this was a perfect excuse to dress up as pirates.

At last month’s protest, a demonstrator known as Epic Nose Guy was given a court summons for failing to remove a sign that depicted Scientology as a cult – http://tanya-n.com/4chan4/IMG_2597.jpg.  The  Crown Prosecution Service ruled that the word “cult” was “neither abusive or insulting” with no further action taken.  He turned up again and was pursued by the “pros”.  

It was amusing really – they told him exactly where to stand, to tilt his sign and to look towards the Church of Scientology building.  The photographer in the foreground below then took around 20 pictures using burst mode (why?) from various angles.

The demonstrators took full advantage of their freedom to call Scientology a cult!  Just in case you missed it:

As ever, these protests are amusing, although becoming a tad monotonous.  I wonder if the demonstrators plan to mix things up and maybe do something a little different to perhaps gain a bit more publicity?  Alas, I won’t be around for the July one, but I’ll be looking out for the pictures!

I’ll end with a shot I took just after I left the protest, of a very kind man, who randomly decided to call me a “terrorist” and “Taliban”, and to go back to my country  A tad confused, I turned around and asked him to repeat what he said, and he did.  He wasn’t drunk and didn’t appear to be on drugs – in fact, he was speaking with a slight accent (somewhat ironic) and quite eloquently.  He carried on ranting at me so naturally, I took a snap.

Clearly camera-shy, but not shy to air his racist thoughts.

I didn’t feel threatened at all by his stupidity – in fact I found his comments hilarious and yet infuriating.  I told him to stop being so ignorant and that this *is* my country.   Sad, really.  My first experience of racist abuse!

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February – http://tanya-n.com/?p=104

March – http://tanya-n.com/?p=107

April – http://tanya-n.com/?p=110

May – http://tanya-n.com/?p=114