Date: Saturday, May 6, 2000
Start and End Times: 12:05 - 2:10 pm Location: San Francisco Picketers: Kristi Wachter, Peaches, Phr Handlers: Jeff Quiros (barely) Weather: overcast and cool Number of Handouts given away: 146 (downstat!) Comments: very uneventful flier stats:

2 Xenu fliers 4 Lisa fliers 2 Did Scn kill Rodney Rimando? fliers 56 Costs a Mint/Breaking the Law 2 Bowfinger fliers 54 Does John Travolta Want to Give You Space Cooties? fliers 26 Tax-Exempt Status/Lisa fliers 146 total ----------------------------------------------- Familiar faces seen:

Jeff Quiros Mr. Get-Your-Facts-Straight Burly Guy Lucretia El Greco Ms. A Mr. Tall Thin Sea Org Familiar faces not present during this picket:

Josh Craig Mr. Lady-I-Work-Here Movie Star Miss Pixie ----------------------------------------------- Note: Quotes may not be exact, since I didn't listen to my tape recording much. Also, I occasionally rearrange the chronology slightly to enhance the narrative flow.

Peaches, Phr, and I picketed the San Francisco org today.

THE PRE-PICKET PICKET ===================== Before leaving for the picket, I called the police, as usual. I told the officer who answered the phone that, starting around noon, a handful of people would be picketing Scientology, just around the corner from the police station, and that we didn't expect any trouble but we like to keep the police posted. He said fine, and that they would keep the area monitored. During the course of our picket, I saw several police officers strolling by - since the org is just a block away from the police station, this is not at all unusual, but it sure does make me feel more comfortable and safer when I picket.

Phone call made, I arranged my various fliers inside my "What part of KNOW don't you understand?" bookbag, donned my sandwich sign ("SCIENTOLOGY HURTS PEOPLE", with "SCIENTOLOGISTS CONVICTED *AGAIN*!" on the back, visible whenever the wind whipped my sign around), picked up my picket sign, ("SCIENTOLOGY: -> STILL <- BREAKING THE LAW - www.scientology-lies.com " and "SCIENTOLOGY: -> CONVICTED <- OF LYING - LEARN THE TRUTH www.scientology-lies.com", same as last time), stuffed my inflatable alien's feet under the straps of my backpack, and headed out the door. (This time I brought my copy of "Dianetics" in my backpack; alas, I have still never had an opportunity to use it during a picket.)

I walked the 15 blocks to the org. On my way, I ran into some folks from two churches who were standing on a busy street corner and handing out fliers. One of them asked me why Scientology was breaking the law, while another person (not from that church) asked me how Scientology was breaking the law. I answered both their questions (why? because policy tells them to; how? by holding people against their will and defrauding people) and gave them fliers. The one who asked how Scientology was breaking the law said he used to live in Florida and that he wasn't a Scientologist but he disagreed with my "Scientology Hurts People" sign. He said he was a student of theology and that he thought Scientology was no worse than most other churches. I told him that Scientology holds people against their will, which most churches don't do; that Scientology commits extortion, which most churches don't do; and that Scientology deliberately lies to people, which most churches don't do. He agreed with all of those points and nodded while reading my fliers.

And what about the gentleman from the church? What did he think about me picketing Scientology? Did he find me to be a despicable individual engaged in bigotry and hatemongering? Well, actually, no. He invited me to get involved in his own church's social action programs. As I left, a colleague of his approached, and I faintly overheard them discussing my activism in tones that suggested that they knew all about Scientology's criminal history.

HERE I GO AGAIN =============== I arrived at the org at 12:05 - almost on time! - and began picketing. There was a police van parked in one of the three spaces in front of the org, making it difficult for passing cars to see me, so I tended to hang out a little to the west of the org; there's a broad walkway there where Leavenworth Street dead-ends, and most of the pedestrian traffic goes through there, so I hovered on the edge of the walkway where the cars could see me, waving at the cars and offering fliers to the walkers. Peaches arrived at about 12:30, and we strolled back and forth together, chatting.

HELLO OLD FRIEND ================ Around 1 pm or so (I didn't look at my watch) Jeff Quiros appeared, striding purposefully toward the org with an attache case in each hand. I greeted him and smiled and said "Nice to see you!" and he smiled back.

Shortly thereafter, he emerged to take pictures while Peaches and I were talking with a passerby. I noticed the camera and began waving and smiling. Unfortunately, Jeff's batteries weren't working properly. I offered to lend him mine, but he graciously declined.

We had a much friendlier interaction than last time, to my great joy. I wished him a happy 50th Anniversary of Dianetics Day. We even joked a bit - he asked where the other critics were (as if I knew - honestly, Jeff, you give us much more credit for being organized than we deserve), and I told him they were all off at a secret Marcabian meeting. He said he didn't know the Marcabs were still having meetings, and I told him he just wasn't on the invitation list anymore. He also asked for any new fliers I might have (unlike in SOME cities, the Scientologists here don't commit assault and theft by grabbing fliers out of our hands), saying he was going for the complete collection.

When I first met Jeff Quiros, he was badgering Taniwha, and he struck me as cold and a little creepy and not especially nice. I was utterly delighted to have a bit of friendly interaction with him, and it earned him this month's coveted Kristi's Favorite Scientologist award.

I hope everyone will remember that even those Scientologists who seem mean have a good side and good qualities, and I hope that anyone who reads this who has an unpleasant interaction with a Scientologist will make an effort to bring out that good side and will seek a way to turn the encounter into a positive experience for both parties. Some aspects of Scientology are evil, but Scientologists are not. (This is one reason I so appreciate Stacy Brooks' involvement with the Lisa McPherson Trust - she seems so good at remembering the human side of Scientologists, even those who are assigned to harass her.)

TELL HER ABOUT IT ================= As always, there were people who had stories of their own that they wanted to tell me or info they wanted to pass along. One gentleman came up and said he'd been watching for us picketers to reappear - he had found out that "Charles Manson credits them with his success" and he wanted to make sure I knew about that.

Another gentleman said he had gone in three times, and "within a minute and a half all they could think about was money," so he became disgusted with them and left. I made sure to give him a "Costs a Mint" flier. (As he continued down the street, he saw the gentleman on the steps reading my fliers, and he told his story to that guy, too.)

A gentleman who stopped to talk with us while Jeff Quiros was taking pictures said he had seen the help wanted sign and needed a job, so he went in and took the 200-question test (he remembered that it was 200 questions) and then found out the job involved selling Scientology books and courses and he left. Years later, he passed by when they were offering the "stress test" and he said the lady doing the demo had pinched his arm so hard that the mark never went away.

Another gentleman said he was doing a report on Scientology and was delighted to get a Travolta flier. He asked about the rumors that Tom Cruise had recently left Scientology - I told him that, as far as I knew, they were just rumors.

One of the folks who asked for new fliers said he knew someone who got duped (his word) out of tens of thousands of dollars. I told him about Wayne Whitney, who lost over $150,000 after being told he would never need to spend more than $2500.

WAITING ON A FRIEND =================== Early on, a gentleman took some fliers from me, then sat on the steps next door to the org and read them all carefully. At first, I was flattered that he was so interested, but finally I realized he must be waiting for someone or something.

It seemed a bit harder to flier today, but I did pass out several fliers, and at one point I was mobbed with people asking for fliers and asking good questions about Scientology. (Although most people need to have a flier offered to them, some will see the sign and come up and ask for information.) Some people have gotten info from us before and ask whether we have any new fliers, so I try to bring something new every two or three pickets. (I really should use more of the excellent fliers that other picketers have put together, but I really like half-page fliers, and most that I've seen are longer than that.)

One lady took a flier and asked me some followup questions after reading it. She asked what I thought Scientology was going to do in response to my picketing. I told her I doubted it would have any effect on Scientology itself, but that I hoped I could help raise awareness among people like her, and that I hoped she would write to her congressfolk and the IRS.

A gentleman took a flier from me and asked me what I thought about the teachings and the "science" of Scientology; I told him I thought there was no basis for it and that it was fraudulent, but that if people wanted to practice the parts of it that don't hurt people and don't break the law, that I have no problem with that.

Peaches and Phr both helped pass out fliers (Peaches even went over to Market Street, which was crowded with Cinco de Mayo revellers); my stats above include the ones they gave out.

MAKING CONTACT ============== I try not to be confrontational with the Scientologists I encounter, but I do try to make a bit of friendly contact with them, wishing them a good afternoon and offering a smile as I stroll past. The Scientologists seemed a bit more willing to make contact this time; although Ms. A (a young Scientologist with long, dark hair) wouldn't make eye contact or return my greeting, one or two others did, and Jeff Quiros was much friendlier this month, as noted above. Mr. Get Your Facts Straight met my eye but his expression seemed unfriendly.

DANGLING CONVERSATION ===================== As often happens, we had a couple of visits from people who seemed, more likely than not, to be there to distract us. One was El Greco, a very sweet-seeming gentleman with a Greek fisherman's cap who often appears during our pickets and talks to us. I believe I've seen him go into the org, but I don't know whether he's a Scientologist or not.

We also had a visit from a gentleman on a bicycle who was questioning us loudly and ranting. He asked me whether I smoked cigarettes and whether I drank beer, and when I told him I didn't want to discuss my personal life, he shouted that I was discussing Scientologists' personal lives and that I had no right to talk. I told him I was discussing the organization's illegal acts. He said since I did bad things (although I hadn't admitted anything), I shouldn't talk about them doing bad things. I told him I didn't expect them to be perfect, just to stop breaking the law. He continued to rant, and so I began to ignore him; not long after, he went away.

I don't know whether Scientology is engaging people to "dev-t" us picketers (distract us from our task by trying to get us involved in fruitless conversations); I think the more likely explanation is that these are simply denizens of the San Francisco community and that they're simply exercising their own rights to free speech. However, I try to stay focused on my goals when I'm picketing - handing out fliers and distributing information about Scientology - so either way, it generally doesn't distract me for very long. Fortunately, most people are hurrying along on their own errands, and it's more a matter of trying to keep their attention long enough to give them a flier than having to extract myself from a long conversation.

NO CLEVER CAPTION FOR OUR AFTER-PICKET CHAT =========================================== A little after 2 pm, we went over to our usual cafe for a drink (I had orange mango) and a delightful chat.

It was a splendid picket and a splendid after-picket-get-together.

PEACEFUL EASY FEELING ===================== It feels to me as though we currently have the sensible kind of picket atmosphere that you would expect in a rational world - they're not happy that we're there, but we're not getting the kind of vicious acts that have been reported in Toronto recently. Instead, we're mostly being ignored, and occasionally getting a friendly nod from a high-toned Scientologist. I never forget that they could still be planning some kind of a more private attack, something they could do without a public footbullet, but I'm hopeful that, instead, we have a real detente.

My revenge picketers have been coming by on Sundays lately, so I probably won't know until tomorrow whether I'll be harassed this month. I didn't see any sign of a revenge picket last month.

I'LL BE THERE ============= Wow ... that was a really long report for such an uneventful picket!

My thanks to Peaches and Phr for joining me - it was great to see you!

The next regularly scheduled first-Saturday-of-every-month picket is June 3 from noon until 2 pm, rain or shine. See you then!

Kristi -- Kristi Wachter the activist formerly known as "Jour" (before $cientology outed me) I think $cientology is hurting people and breaking the law, and I want them to stop it. See http://www.scientology-lies.com for more.

Can you say "Xenu?" ... I knew that you could.

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