Read and tell me what you think or if I've missed anything.
I'll send it off on Wednesday 17th.


NETCU
PO BOX 525
Huntingdon
PE29 9AL


Dear Sir/Madam,

You may be aware of the current peaceful, worldwide protests held monthly by the activist group known as Anonymous against the Church of Scientology.

Our protests are always peaceful. We have no desire for conflict with the Scientologists or the police. We are there simply to inform the public of our belief that the Church of Scientology is a corrupt organisation that is harmful and dangerous to its members and the public. Our protests are always held in what could best be described as a street party style. We dress up, have fun, play music, sing, chant very silly demonstration chants and involve the public as much as possible in a fun but educational way. As far as I am aware there have been no arrests for extremist behaviour within Anonymous since our protests began in February 2008.

On the 13th September 2008, the Birmingham, UK branch of Anonymous held a protest in New Street, Birmingham against the Church of Scientology. During this protest we had two megaphones and were playing music, dancing and chanting as we have done for seven months. On other protests the police have only occasionally asked us to keep the noise down or to take breaks, usually due to complaints from business owners. This we have always complied with. We also comply with any requests direct from businesses. However, on the 13th September a Scientologist approached a police officer with a print out from NETCU. In it there was case history and statute that stated that “Pop Up Protests” could not use a megaphone or chant as this may appear intimidating and be placing the views of a minority onto a majority.

Anonymous will always comply with a police officer’s request, so we stopped using the megaphone. We have been unable to find any documentation on the NETCU website containing the same advice that the police officer claimed was in the documentation handed to him. The police officer told us that fewer than 100 people at a protest was deemed a “Pop Up protest”. Yet in seven months of protesting, we have never heard this phrase or been told to turn off the megaphone completely and to never use it again. When asking the police officer what NETCU was, he didn’t say “National Extremism Tactical Coordination Unit” but, “It’s a House of Lords thing!” He also refused to give us the document that the Scientologist had handed to him for our own perusal.

Of course, the police officer’s conduct is a matter to take up with West Midlands Police. I have written to you to seek clarification of our rights in protesting.

Are we allowed to use a megaphone? If not, why not? What are the statutes and case histories that stop us?
Are we allowed to chant demonstration chants?
What defines a Pop Up protest?

You may wish to know what we were doing when the Scientologist approached the police officer. We were performing the Village People’s disco hit YMCA for the public. Whilst doing this other members were handing out leaflets (which we have already cleared with Birmingham City Council). The music was coming out of a megaphone and we were dancing and singing. The public were joining in. It was certainly not intimidating. In fact, the most intimidating actions of the day were those of the Scientologists staring at us and taking photographs throughout the protest.

Our chants are also very silly. Our favourite is: “That is a pigeon” (pointing to a pigeon) “That is a cult!” (pointing to the building where the Church of Scientology is based). The Crown Prosecution Service has already made it clear that the term “Cult” describing the Church of Scientology is not offensive. This chant generally gets a laugh from passing members of the public and a request to know why we are there.

I understand fully why NETCU was created, but I believe that we are not domestic extremists. To class Anonymous as such puts our peaceful group in the same category as bigots and fascists. I have never seen Combat 18 or the A.L.F performing disco hits to the public.

If you can provide us with some clarification of these matters, I would be very grateful.

Yours sincerely,

:edit:

Stupid wordfilters removed.

It was a custom wordfilter, for some reason.

... Don't you mean "spelling protest as protets"?

EDIT: ahhhh... crap. Now I look like a huge idiot.

Getting rid of the american spellings dictionary would help.

Back in this thread there was mention of a city centre ban on megaphones & loud-hailers. (Also includes mentions of Wheeler and new, pending police powers).

What was the background to the megaphone ban and how was it resolved? Sorry, can't go trawling through all the posts.

(Edit: removed irrelevant stuff)

TBH that was wheeler saying he'd arrest us. He hasn't, we checked sections 8 and 5 and can't find anything in those to back up his threats. Since then we've had on the spot agreements over volume levels and nothing more.

What I do want know is if the scis gave the piece of paper to the copper or if he already had it. I get the feeling that this was a website printout and not a proper letter.

I'd also like to know as much about the incident as possible so I can give the coppers a ring and ask them about it.

The scilon came out and gave it to the PC and started talking to him about it.
The PC then came over and spoke to us about it, but as someone has said, he didn't sound wholly convinced by it.

I didn't get a good look at the paper, but I don't think it was a print out from the web (else we'd have found it also); I think it may have been a fax from St Hill or something, but that still leaves WTF did they not use it at the start of the day when it would have been more effective?

From what I saw of it, it could have been a web printout - the banner at the top, and the general layout, seems consistent with that at least. As suggested though, we should have been able to find it ourselves if it was.

I'm also not 100% convinced the Scifags gave it to him, as I remember him saying "...hope they don't get hold of this". To me, this suggests he was referring to them finding out - if they'd gave it him, they'd clearly already know.

ANonStick, you're remembering correctly, it was Parliament Square he mentioned.

Oh, and I've spoke to a solicitor I know, they're unaware of any recent changes to the Act, as was claimed.

N1 falco. If we can get this batted on the head it'll be great.

From what I understand NETCU only talk to the coppers with advice regarding activities. However, if you go through the site you should come to the conclusion that we come to which is that it is designed to protect individuals rights. I'm wondering if we can use that to get the constant phoning the coppers stopped? It's basically the scis using the coppers to harass us and harassment's covered on there.

I love it. They once again become the source of their own demise.

Do we have a reply of any kind?

Yeah, I'm eager to know too.

Do we heck as like. Looks like NETCU might as well be called FUCKU. Business as usual, people until the cops tell us otherwise.

Would it be unwise to try & snap a photo of any dox in wheeler's hands in future?

Try it, see what happens.