The article


Demo against church move

Apr 14 2008 By Jasbir Authi
Protest in New Street against the church of Scientology

PROTESTERS took to the street to campaign against controversial plans by the to open a new headquarters in Birmingham.

Around 70 placard waving members of a group called Anonymous, many of them wearing full gowns and masks, gathered outside the Church of Scientology headquarters on Ethel Street, on Saturday.

The Church of Scientology has Tom Cruise and John Travolta among its followers.

The protesters said they were concerned over the way it recruited members.

But the Church of Scientology responded by comparing Anonymous to "terrorists".

The protest, dubbed Operation Reconnect, comes after the Birmingham Mail revealed that the Church is thought to have paid as much as £4.25million to buy the old Pitmaston building, in Moor Green Lane, in Moseley, to use as its Midlands HQ.

It will become the organisation's second biggest base in the UK.

Protest supporter Dr Martin Poulter said: " The information we have from Birmingham tells us that while Scientology is declining in the rest of the country, it is growing in Birmingham.

"That is suggested by them getting a property in Birmingham. People should be warned about Scientology increasing their operations here."

Dr Poulter also said Anonymous was concerned about the Church's recruitment methods, which he claimed involved taking large sums of money, and policy of disconnecting members from their family and friends.

"There is no science behind their theories," he claimed.

But a Church of Scientology spokesman called Anonymous "anti-freedom of religion and anti-free speech".

In a statement, the spokesman said: "Anonymous is perpetrating religious hate crimes against Churches of Scientology and individual Scientologists for no reason other than religious bigotry.



"The terrorist crimes of Anonymous should be condemned."

Well, at least it was unbiased.

Just a shame Scientology were able to give more venom than we were able to administer antidote

yea nice to see it unbiased, but not geting much in the way of our points across...but thats media lol

and bit points for typing the artical out

At least we got some coverage really, and unbiased at that. I had a distinct lack of replies to the press release, although I believe a couple contacted Martin Poulter directly about it.

Well done to the Anon who got photographed. Does the same photograph appear in the print version?

Can we not commission the birmingham mail to put across a larger article? In masks obv.

What is protesting, but a use of the very Freedom of Speech they claim we are taking from them?

As such a large corporation, they have huge amounts propoganda that anyone can read, listen to or be told about with the simplest of searches. By getting our viewpoint heard, we are in no way taking away their Freedom of Speech.

For them to claim such a thing is absolutely ridiculous. Hopefully, it will be seen as such by the readers of this article.

Nice to see we made the papers, even if it did mostly cover the 'Church's' viewpoint.

Nope, but the Rick Astley would never give you up one is

Nice - once again, well done to '66 on her sign.

Although I think it would have been better if there had been a group shot in one form of the media.

The doubt is not a crime fraud is sign is in print as well

Strange, the pic accompanying the online version appears to be me, but from 15/03 rather than 12/04.

Here's an IndyMedia article:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/bir.../04/396488.html

Best of all the image on the online version includes the address for xenu.net! Hopefully that should pique a few online readers interests. :)

Five sentences pro, and five sentences anti. Plus the photo (which more people will look at than will read the article) conveys our message and URLs. Win for us.

Oh wow - my photos were used in the indymedia article XD

Martin - very true - next time I'll count the sentences rather than inches ^^;

Hah, I knew they would trot out the terrorist accusation again! Were they worried that our delicious cakes would somehow explode?

an unbiased article is better then no article, and by far better then one siding with the scientologists.

Always remember that one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter!

scans?

ooh, I'm in the big picture for that indymedia article. :D

WIN! They got the pigeon in there!! Ahahaaaahhh... :lol:

Has anybody got a scan of the Birmingham Mail article? Would be nice to have as a souvenir of my Grand Day Out.

hmmm i dunno if you can say their article is unbiased just because they interviewed both sides so to speak.

They gave the scientologists the last word which is what they normally do with the authorities/establishment at a protest. You know, when they cover a protest and then end with a quote from the body or corp you're protesting about. Protesters never seem to get the last word in these reports. Hey but at least it'll get some people thinking.

Would it be worth contacting the journo who did the front page expose on the new hq and emailing them a press release in the future?

Sometimes it's worth cultivating good journos ;)

I've asked around at all the newsagents near me to see if they still had any copies out back that they hadn't gotten rid of yet. No luck unfortunately. :(

You can order if from them. Old papers ARE NOT kept out back, they get collected by the paper company when they deliver fresh lots in the morning. So If you didn't get them on the day, sorry, you have to phone up and order.

I feared as much, although I thought it'd be worth asking since the old newsagents near me (which has been closed for a few years now) used to still have their old ones for a while after publication, which I used to find very useful when looking up news sources for various school projects back when I was all fresh-faced and young and whatnot.

Library

*brainwave*

Good place to leave YFTC... MANY books... many pages... shove 'em in some books, or between some books.