The Toronto Org rented the Queen Elizabeth Theatre at the Canadian National Exhibition Grounds for the Official 47th Anniversary Celebration of the release of Dianetics. The Theatre seats 1300. Base rent is $2650. Plus taxes (15%), plus Union Stage Hands and required In-house Equipment Rentals. (And more 15% taxes.) Also the T.O. had pretty costly glossy postcard sized handout/mailout invites printed by the thousands and had advertised and laid out quite a large spread of free food and Beverages (non alcoholic). We didn't see the food, but I imagine it featured a Rice and Beans salad, of course. Minimum cost for all this would have to be at least $5000 Canadian. Likely as high as $8,000. And it was wasted.
The event was a dud. A complete PR and staging Disaster.
We arrived at 6:45 and parked in the one open lot. We then proceeded the block over to the front of the theatre. The theatre has a U shaped driveway so that vehicles can drive in and disgorge occupants at the entrance and then swing right back out onto the street. We could not picket inside the U as that is private property, even though it is not posted, and the CNE Security have the power to issue some pretty stiff tickets for trespass. We stayed on the sidewalk at the open end of the U at the street. Standard 4 foot wide walk and about 50 feet worth of it in the U. When we got there at 6: 45 about 30 clams and guests were milling about outside the theatre entrance talking and smoking (yech) Kools. Most had familiar faces from one time or another earlier at the Org Demo. I assumed twice as many were already inside to set an initial attending figure at this point of 100 max. Reverend Buttnor was out front, pacing and attended by a herd of about 10 kids aged 8 to 12. As soon as he noticed we had showed his already sulky demeanour became an absolute black glower. The kids were pointing to us and asking him questions. And he was telling them something and pointing to us. This makes me a bit sad. I can imagine what a twisted type of information he was imparting to them. "Those are enemies. They are Suppressives and Bigots. Nothing on the signs is true or means anything. Look at them, how downstat they are dressed, they are all lunatics, etc" Those poor innocents. What a shame.
This is a pretty deserted area of Exhibit Halls Buildings, but it is a main bus thoroughfare. Pedestrian traffic was virtually non existent, but traffic was steady at about a car every minute and buses every 10 minutes one way or another. I am trying to get my hands on the Media Release they sent out, but I have had it read to me on the phone. Pretty standard fair, and no mention of Scientology.
My contact said she got the copy out of the trash in her bosses office.
It wasn't even filed as is SOP.
NO Media Showed. They ignored the whole thing.
The front of the Theatre has dark blue/black mica or glass panelling on
it and the T.O. had a banner about 3 feet by 20 feet tacked up. The banner
was white paper and had 47th Anniversary of Dianetics neatly painted on it
in sky blue paint. In other words it was not very outstanding. The banner
was hung at shoulder height and add to that the fact that the "Clam" (slang for Scientologist or Scieno or Cosite)
SmokeOut going on was right in front of the banner and you realize right
away that even a small crowd hid the damn thing from the street. They had
standard size Dianetics Cover posters up too, but these were just brown
blots with yellow writing even at 30 feet.
With our bright yellow signs we were clearly visible for 100s of meters in any direction on the Fair Grounds.
Cars would go by and people would be craning their necks to see our signs. If they slowed down we would flip the signs to give them both sides. It was quite windy at times and we were walking back and forth with one side facing the "Clam" SmokeOut and the other treating the traffic. When a Bus came by we would give the driver and passengers a good look too.
Occasionally a car would go by very slowly peering at our signs and pointing at the clams. These were the herd of clams coming to this 'event' and they were none too pleased with our presence. We got fingers and squealing tires as they turned about looking for the parking, for which there was NO sign out front and if you weren't familiar with the grounds, not easily spotted. Infact one set of Scienos actually stopped and asked me where the parking lot was, " Hey smartass, where do we park?" I resisted the temptation to send him into Lake Ontario and gave him valid, simple directions.
A lot of Scienos also came by bus and were let off about a block away. They kept peering in windows of the Buildings looking for the 'Event'. (The theatre entrance is recessed back from the street of course for the U shaped driveway.) When they got close enough to see the writing on the signs they clued in. We made good sign posts. The ARSCC* Picket Parking Valet and Tour Guide Services were a complete success. (*WDNE)
We kept track of the body count, giving and taking for those who wandered in and out. By the announced 7: 30 start there was at most 200 Scienos inside or out. The start time came and went without notice until about 10 to 8 pm when the first of the FIVE times they announced "We're starting Now" drew some of the faithful inside. Another 100 Scienos and guests kept drifting in until about 8:20 when I think they actually did start. At least that was the time the odd clam or two sneaking out for a smoke stopped happening. We called it a done deal at 8:30.
Total attendance was at most 300 people from a population of over 5- 8 million within 45 minutes drive in time. I imagine they got every body to sit in the front centre section inside. Must have been pretty depressing for the Org Staff! A less that 25% capacity turn out for the 'big event'. They had been pretty Upstat about attendance earlier at the org from the snippets of inter-talk I caught.
All in all it was a total embarrassment for the Toronto Org.
2. Incidents at the Second Picket.
Reverend Buttnor was out front the whole time pacing back and forth and giving us the death stare. He looked like any other outofpocket entrepreneur hosting an absolute PR Flop: Immensely Unhappy. The Scienos gawked and pointed at us some laughing and others glowering. The kids tried a little heckling, but drifted off to play around a huge fountain nearby. Once in awhile some adult would try to round them up, but it was hopeless. I got the distinct impression these kids did not have much opportunity to have fun and be just regular, well, *kids*.
At one point three children came up to me, two girls and a boy. The older girl was about 14 and had a tape recorder. Reverend Buttnor saw them and made a beeline from about 50 feet. He almost ran! These kids were not Scienos. I knew this by their dress ( the usual designer stuff like Nike and Logo'd clothing as opposed to Sally Anne hand me downs) and the fact they came up to me at all. The oldest girl said she and her friends were doing a school project on Scientology and wanted to ask me a few questions. (Yes, I will be writing to the PTA's and the Teachers Elementary School Federation.) She wanted to know if I hated Scientologists and where I got my information. Rev. Buttnor was close enough to hear that and catch my answer. I said, No, I didn't hate the people, I just disagreed with the management practices and the costs. Did they have Internet Access in their School? (Affirmative nods.) Then they should check out Operation Clambake through DejaNews and the Scientology pages. Compare all the information, I advised them, and then decide for themselves what to think.
At this point Rev. Buttnor jumped in and said: " He is a liar and a bigot. A lunatic. He said on the Internet that scientologists should be hunted down and killed like wolves!"
This pushed my button. I am not perfect and I was getting tired.
So I shot back, "You are a dishonest propagandist who quotes out of context." He shoots back," It was on the Internet so it has to be true!"
Now this was so funny I had to laugh. And I saw the bewildered looks on the kids faces. They were being argued over by two adults, which wasn't fair. The girl was still taping, so I said to her, "Get him to give you the flyer he printed about me and use DejaNews to find out for yourself." Then I gave them a big smile and moved away. The Rev. treated them to a good 5 minutes of propaganda and then the kids went back towards the theatre. The Reverend then planted himself square in the centre of the sidewalk and just stood there. We were forced to walk around him for a good 10 minutes. Each time I would pass behind him I said 'Bread and Butter".
After 10 minutes of this he went back to the theatre front. He is a *very* unhappy Scieno.
Another motorist stopped later and shouts, Why are you doing
this? I reply, because they have a ruthless management. He says, but in
the Globe they say they have changed. I say, They are less than
forthright and their doctrine of oppression is still in force. He says,
give me a flyer. So I cross into traffic ( a no no) and give him a flyer.
He wants to talk and I tell him I can't stand in the road. So he pulls
into the first bit of the Q.E. Theatre driveway. Buttnor sees this and
starts to dog trot over. My driver friend asks where I got the flyer and
I tell him the Internet. He says what is the URL? (Note: I screwed up and
didn't have or print up a list.) I tell him how to find Operation Clambake, which he writes down on the flyer, and I added as Rev Buttnor
joined us, "Don't forget to check out the scientology main site to
compare information the URL is www.scientology.org or .com, ask this
gentleman he is a Scientologist and could fill you in on that. Say Rev is
it .org or .com this guy wants to know?" Then I smile at the driver and
move on. The Rev talks to this guy for a few minutes, things get heated.
Then the Rev is joined by the Lady OT7 from earlier and she takes a spin
at the driver.
Then one of the other OT3+ ladies from earlier joins them
and takes a spin at the driver too. The three of them are all bent over
talking to this guy and presenting their posteriors to the street and
passing traffic. It was hilarious! The poor guy behind the wheel was
looking very displeased and angry. This went on for a good five minutes.
At one point one of the passengers in the back seat gets out walks over
to me and says, Can I have a flyer too? Those people are all liars and
thieves. Shortly thereafter the car pulled out. Later D'Artangnan gave
a good 10 minutes to a driver who stopped to ask for a flyer and about
Lisa. A CNE security type finally broke that up and asked the guy to move
on, as it was a No Parking Zone.
We had two police patrol car visits to ask us how it was going and were we going to be peaceful etc. Artemis and D'Artangnan let me do the talking and I told the Cops both times that everything was fine. And we chit chatted a bit about the Co$ criminal record.
These coppers knew their stuff. Both times the good Rev. would start to
trot over and the cops would wind up our conversation and drive off with a
polite wave to the Rev.
I think the Rev was getting a good work out.
During the course of our hour and 45 minutes on site we received a lot of verbal and non verbal acknowledgements from Scienos and from the passing traffic.
One Scieno yelled at us "psyches" and at least four Scieno drivers gave us the finger. Most significantly we had 5 highly positive Bus Driver Acks. One driver even stopped and opened the door and said something like 'Keep it up" or " Good going".
And one Bicycle Ack. Another German student. He took a flyer and asked for my email address. He had uncomplimentary things to say about the Co$ but he was on the clock and had to move on. ( I think he was a courier.)
The late arrivals for the 'Big Event' petered out at about 8:20 and they finally closed the doors at 8:25. We decided the field was won and packed it in at 8:30, even tho' I had filed a Notice for a Demo until 9:30 pm.
When we got back to the Events Parking lot I did a quick car count. There were at most 50 cars in the lot. About 10 were clearly marked as CNE maintenance vehicles and I spotted about 10 more with the Yellow CNE staff stickers, so I figure only 30 cars were possibly there for the 'Big Event'. A lot of them were pretty beat up too.
| Previous | Next |
|
Top of Page Main Site Index This Section Index |
words/photos© by Gregg Hagglund (elrond@cgo.wave.ca) Last modified: Monday October 20, 1997.
