Another total surprise event caught the Toronto Org
completely unprepared with senior staff unavailable
or absent for our initial appearance.
Toronto Picket #4
Toronto Ontario Canada
August 16, 1997.
2pm to 4:30 pm
Another total surprise event caught the Toronto Org completely
unprepared with senior staff unavailable or absent for
our initial appearance.
Particularily upsetting for Mr. Al Buttnor was the
silent, dignified presence on our picket, of Nan Maclean,
Toronto Orgs arch foe and victim of over 17 Co$ lawsuits.
Nan may not voice criticism or help in anti-Cos court cases
apparently due to a 'peace settlement' some time ago,
but to the chagrin of Buttnor and senior org
members Nan is able to utilise a Picket as an
expression of her situation with impunity.
Appropriately Nan Maclean carried a sign stating
"Scientology persecutes and harrasses critcs".
Our Picket started on time and we were at immediate Cause over the Org.
Our Picket Staff consisted of six Picketers:
Myself, Nan Maclean, Artemis, Cerebrus, Burbank,
V-Tech and a remote observer called Othello.
Plus the approximately 400 citizens who
picked off 250 Xenu flyers and 250 DYIN'ETHICS
Pamphlets. ( Some wanted both.)
When we first showed the Org door was open, no display was on the street and the only visible Co$ staffer of note was Mr. Yukayuk. A very poor colour tv monitor was in the front window displaying the "Animal" New Slant Ad and the sound track of same was playing at conversation level on an exterior speaker.
Artemis at the closed Org door.
As soon as I launched into my standard crowd harangue
outside the org door panic ensued within. Our observer reported
"numerous frantic back and forth activities inside the Org
and several phones in use as the Org tried to marshal their
forces". The first action they took was to close the front door,
which on a day with a Humidex of 96 F was tantamount
to cruel and unusual punishment.
As usual we were welcomed by the passersby with open smiles and general public approval, plus uncountable car horn acks, thumbs ups, encouraging comments, etc.
After about 30 minutes the org staff were forced to open the door and try to counter our presence. A lame attempt at sending a Co$ pamphleteer upstream and downstream from us and from the front of the org didn't pan out. Most of the passersby were locals and chose to ignore or sidestep org staff.
By three oclock the org had abandoned pamphleteers and some
familiar faces were appearing to take photos and videotape us.
At this point they noticed something very different about this
picket.
No on site police cover.
They turned up the sound on the exterior speaker so that it was
loud enough to drown out normal conversation in an attempt to
overwhelm my harangue.
I approached Mr Yukayuk (who thrust a tape recorder in my face,
a new and standard practice for the day) and I informed him that I
considered the overloud playing of the "Animal" ad sound track to
constitute an attempt to interfere with our information Picket and
that if this was not addressed shortly then the consequence
would be the use of Bull Horns on our next Demonstration, as
was our Right. Mr. Yukayuk seemed to think this statement was
a great victory and some sort of threat.
He did not have the sound level lowered.
....Continued
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words/photos© by or c/o Gregg Hagglund (elrond@cgo.wave.ca) Last modified: Monday October 20, 1997.
