Okay, in preparation of Spy vs. Sci, and after some prompting from you guys, I decided to get some of my ideas written down here. I know some of it is covered in the PSAs, but there's no harm in going over it again. Apologies if it has a rambling quality; it's literally my thoughts on the subject in text.

I believe that without a doubt, informing the public is the most important aspect of these protests. I enjoy trolling the Co$ as much as any anon (rickrolls are epic) but ultimately, that plays second fiddle to genuinely giving the wonderful folk of Birmingham the information the cult is denying them. It's not an easy task, as most people regard $cientology as a 'kooky religion', but it has to be done.

Every person who walks away with the facts is one less credit card transaction for our good friend Wrapson, right?

The problem lies in the fact that going face-to-face with John Doe isn't easy - not by any stretch of the imagination. We may be incredibly well informed, but many of the carefully-picked arguments we're able to form in text suddenly fall apart when communicated in the meat. Call it stage fright if you want; it's generally irritating. It resulted in anonymous making a poor account for itself on the recent Kerrang! interview, and can potentially leave the public unconvinced.

This is not good. If we don't come off as informed, intelligent individuals, then we're just me-too V fanboys with wacky outfits and big signs.

Understand that I'm not neccessarily saying that any of my methods of communication are particularly 'good' in any manner - what's 'good' in a protest is pretty subjective - but just stating what I think works, based on what has worked in the past for me, and has done since February. Whether or not you choose to take my advice is totally up to you; I don't represent anonymous, and there is no standardised way to protest in our lovely little group.

But if you're interested in some observations I've made over time, then read on. ^^

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Get informed; get that information written down. This seems to be the same maxim that's repeated over and over on Enturbulation, but knowledge is really the most important factor to take into account. Don't just read the simple stuff (Fair Game, paying for OT, etc); go in depth, and learn more about the real dirt of the corporation (Sea Org, SP Hall, etc). Every time you find out something that shocks you, or brings the rage to the surface, write it down. Every time you find a contradiction in the doctrine/convention of the cult, write it down.

I can't stress this enough. WRITE IT DOWN. When you revise for an exam, you make notes. This is exactly the same. You want an instant wealth of precedences, facts and quotes to be able to read to inquisitive members of the public, and organising them in this way will allow you to instantly draw on that information in the future.

Also, there is the bonus that if you have it down on paper, you can dig it out if you're stuck for words. I'll cover that in a bit.

If you find that you have trouble expressing yourself, go through a mental checklist of the points you feel strongly about. If you want, write a pre-prepared speech on the 'church' and deliver it each time someone speaks to you. It'll come more naturally and smoothly each time you deliver it, and moreover, you won't be tongue-tied as much. You wouldn't expect an actor to do a film without a script, would you? ^^

Be approachable; be likeable. The anon dressed in all-black with a V-mask and a megaphone is not likely to be prevailed upon for conversation. Masks give speech a muffled quality, and can be quite intimidating, and the all-black clothing conjures, however unfair, some social stereotypes for the elder generations. Don't be surprised if you're not getting much attention in that gear.

If you're planning to talk to the public on the day, I suggest being a little more conservative with your outfit. By all means, preserve your anonymity - nobody wants to get Fair Gamed - but ensure that your mouth isn't obstructed, and that your facial features are not overly obscured by a scarf/mask/whatever. People work a lot from body language and facial expression in a conversation, and without this, they get alienated.

On more than one occasion, I've had someone come up to me and say: "Are you with the protest? I'd rather not speak to the ones in masks. They're quite scary.".

This is by NO means a criticism on being 'scary' in this sense. The crazy outfits and eccentric antics get a metric fuckton of attention, and without that, we wouldn't stand a chance. Our masks make us unique, and give us a degree of symbolism that interests people. But they make conversation with the public difficult. Make the choice, basically.

When you speaking to them, be friendly, unassuming and non-forceful. Make sure you come across as totally convicted in your beliefs, but do so in a non-threatening manner. People want to be spoken to about our views - not told. Keep your body language nice and neutral; keep a nice distance away, don't fold your arms (puts a barrier between you and a person), be emotive in your gestures (waving hands about shows conviction) and cock your head to one side as if you're interested in what they have to say on the subject. If they think you're interested in them, they'll be interested in you. Easy.

Also, say nice things. Tell them to have a nice day; tell them you like their shirt; offer them some cake OBSERVE HEALTH LAWS, (cheers Swifty) etc. The nicer we are, the more likely we are to attract new protesters to the next event. It's worked for me in the past. ^^

If you get into an argument, by all means fight it out, but again, be reasonable and keep control over yourself. Don't shout. However illogical the views of your average Joe may end up being, and even if they're not as informed on the subject as you, treat them as a fair point and debate with them in such a way. This will impress the public. Most protestors are brutally short-sighted and single-minded when it comes to their subject.

This is not, however, a license to in any way compromise your stance on the Co$. They're corrupt, greedy and manipulative. Don't forget that. At any point where you find yourself making concessions, refer back to your notes, or research. Keep the argument fresh. Don't dwell on the same points.

If you find yourself losing an argument to someone from the public, or even a Scientologist, go get another anon. They may have a response to a point you hadn't thought of, and two speakers are more persuasive than one.

Make it relevant/interesting. The people in Birmingham on a Saturday are not going to be interested in a long, drawn-out list of the legal contoversy the Co$ has landed itself in. That's very important to know, but quite fairly, the average Joe on the street doesn't want to stick around to hear that.

What you need, though this may sound mercenary, is stuff that will sell. You need to grab their attention and hold it, and I've found the best way to do this is by talking about things that are gripping, emotive and shocking; luckily, the good old $cientologists have done most of my work for me here, by being one of the most shocking organisations on the face of the planet.

Think about buzz-words. Things that will make the public think: "Whoa, this is actually something I need to know about." A few of the more obvious examples, off the top of my head, are: cult, brainwashing, harassment, abuse, scam, money-laundering, corruption, lies and exploitation.

In fact, using these is paramount in getting them to stop and talk to you in the first place. Those who have seen me since February will notice that I use specific 'slogans' to stoke people's curiosity; I repeat them, because they work. ^^

As opposed to shouting: "Fair Game is a violation of free speech." and other such specific phrases, try: "Scientology is an abusal of human rights." or "The cult of Scientology will disconnect you from your family, your wallet and your dignity!". More specifically, make sure people know they can speak to you about it. Add: "Ask us why we believe this!" or: "Want to know why? Just ask." at the end. It adds direction to your words.

Think about the personal element of what you're saying. Saying: "People have been abused by Scientology's Fair Game doctrine." is not nearly as effective as giving a real account of Fair Game in play. If you give a quick run-down of what happened to Lisa McPherson, you're well on the way to striking a chord.

Think about the evidence you're using. Many members of the public will simply ask: "And where are you getting this from? What are you basing this on?". THIS IS WHERE THE NOTES COME IN HANDY. Make sure that, for everything you say, you have some evidence to back it up. For the argument that Scientology is a cult, not a religion, have the quotes from the German government and Justice Lacey at the ready, as well as the recent precedent set with the British courts from Epic Nose Guy.

As with any debate, if you have the facts on your side, people will be more inclined to agree with you. Simple as.

Tell them where they can learn more.

Ultimately, those interesting in finding out about the true Co$ can't do so in a five-minute conversation on the streets of Brum. If they find themselves curious, then you need to point them in the right direction. Obviously, give them websites such as enturbulation.org, xenu.net - but also give the more specific websites such as exscientolgykids. These can be more cutting, and can seal the deal on someone who was leaning towards our stance.

Of course, if they're interested in getting involved, rope them in. Strength in numbers!

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That's all for now. I'm sure I'll end up editing this, cringing, etc, and adding more. I hope that was useful to some of you. I know it would be good for the protest to have some more anons out there poaching from the $cientologist's target audience.

anonogoose

Whatever you do though, DON'T get half a dozen anon talking to one person; this could be intimidating and FFS don't crowd round them, stand a small way away and make sure they have a clear route away from the protest.

^^ THIS. If you do get into an argument and it looks as if it is getting heated, try and back off a little (either physically and/or verbally) and let the public vent for a bit; this may be perceived as not arguing and "losing" but by allowing them to speak their mind uninterrupted you aren't aggravating them, and if after this they still vehemently disagree with your points, disengage; agree to disagree, ask them to visit xenu.net et al to review the information themselves, bid farewell and move on; this allows you to go talk to more people and you don't come across as a bigot ("YOUR view is invalid because it contradicts MY view")

As ever, it comes down to common sense; 99% of people who we talk to will be nice people who want to know more about us/whyweprotest/CoS/etc; it is up to us to be epic 100% of the time, even when the excrement comes into contact with the bladed air movement device.

^^ THIS. I agree. Anything more than two is pushing it, and besides, you'll just end up interrupting each other. If you do call for /b/lackup, make sure the two of you take it in turns to speak. Coherence is the key here, and make sure you don't contradict one another.

One thing I found worked well was me speaking to [person] while another anon writes down the crucial URLS on a notepad. Then, when they inevitably ask: "Where can I find out more?", we can easily just rip off the paper and hand it to them. It doesn't violate the flyering law, to my knowledge, and means that our message is (albeit less professionally than flyers) spread.

Totally. It's hardly fair to expect the members of the public to listen to your long rant about the Co$ if you won't listen to one of theirs. Give and take, and you'll find that they'll be much more receptive to what you're trying to give.

Ah... so you're the mighty Goose!

I liked your idea of prompt cards... I found myself stuck for things to bring up after explaining a couple of things, despite lurking plenty. I ended up turning to the anon on my right... saying "ummm... what else?"

I also like prompt cards idea. I found myself going rather off track at times and those could help.