http://permanent.nouvelobs.com/politique/20051008.OBS1497.html

Picket against Scientologie
NOUVELOBS.COM|08.10.05|19:26

Elected officials of all edges and associations expressed in front of the Parisian seat of the Church of scientology to denounce its proselytism.

The church of scientology in Paris (AP) A the initiative of Anne Hidalgo, first assistant socialist with the mayor of Paris, and president of a committee of vigilance against the sects, a demonstration took place Saturday October 8 with 11h30 street Jules César in front of the Parisian seat of the Church of scientology.

The demonstration open to all gathered person, elected official about fifty and member of associations. "We want to warn the Parisian ones against the dangerosity of certain movements and to alert them on the presence of this type of places which is not something of banal", explains Anne Hidalgo.

"Another time we will go in front of the New Acropolis, in XVe". "It is necessary that the Parisian ones are informed of their presence and their dangerosity. The scientology, it is not a church, it is a movement which attacks the people in distress ", she added.

Counter-demonstration a hundred members of Scientologie, regarded as "sectarian movement" on the parliamentary list of 1996, have on their side organized a counter-demonstration in front of their buildings of the 7 street Jules César (XIIe district), by holding up signs "does not touch with my religion". The elected officials ravelled, girded their tricolour scarves in front of the seat of Scientologie by singing the Marseillaise, under the ironic applause of the scientologists.

Present at their sides, the president of association children Attention, Xavier Laugaudin, has on his side insisted on the importance for the parents "to supervise their children", target potential according to him "proselytism" of the Church of Scientologie. "last week with the subway Castle-Red, they distributed leaflets for so-called methods miracle of remedial teaching.

They penetrate the families by the means of the children ", it affirmed. In the counter-demonstration, in which took part of the representatives of association Nouvelle Acropolis, the members of Scientologie stressed on several occasions "Paris freedom! Not with the flicage of the thought!"

Complaint counters X Anne Hidalgo deposited felt sorry for against X in June after the discovery at the end of May of leaflets signed of alleged "a committee of support for Anne Hidalgo" and advising to denounce with the town hall any behavior "nonin conformity".

The leaflet published a chart of the capital announcing the sites of movements considered as sectarian and being reproduced on the parliamentary list of 1996. According to Anne Hidalgo, this chart is an internal working paper to the Town hall of Paris which should have remained confidential and will be reactualized.

Anne Hidalgo underlined her concern with respect to the inflection of the governmental policy of fight against the sects since 2002. "It is known that Scientologie is infiltrated in the places to be able, one is in alarm", has it says, denouncing the reception of the American actor Tom Cruise by Nicolas Sarkozy, then minister for the Economy, and by the mayor of Marseilles Jean-Claude Gaudin, which had done it citizen of honor of the city.

== Note: friends were there, and said that the police almost forbade the picketers to come in front of the scam cult. Was scientology protected by some order, or had the cult sent anonymously some meneces against the life of Anne Hidalgo (Paris Mayor First adjointe)? I dunno.

Interesting nevertheless: the cultists counter-picketing were circa 100, while Paris org and CC Paris are supposed to have more tha 300 staffs... and thousands of clients. r

From: "Eldonbraun"
Subject: Re: Paris Picket against scientology by the First assistant of the Paris Mayor
Date: 9 Oct 2005 05:11:26 -0700
Message-ID: <1128859886.571459.319040@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>

Merde! Too bad I didn't know about it or I would have gone. Last time I sort of picketed the Paris Org, handing out Xenu fliers in French, they called the cops and told them I was a crazy person. The cops, after a brief interrogation, told me I should have gotten a permit or notified someobody.

Oh, well. The French are taking care of it nicely these days.

Subject: PARIS: Deputy Mayor Pickets COS * AP * 10/09/05
Date: Sun, 9 Oct 2005 07:36:03 -0500

Deputy mayor of Paris leads demonstration against Church of Scientology AP

Sunday, October 09, 2005

PARIS, France (AP) - The deputy mayor of Paris led a demonstration yesterday outside the Paris offices of the Church of Scientology, saying she wanted to warn parents that children and teenagers may be attracted to such groups.

About 100 members of the Church of Scientology staged a counter-demonstration. About 50 people joined Deputy Mayor Anne Hidalgo's protest, according to a police count.

"We have the duty to tell the truth," Hidalgo told France Info radio. "These movements are dangerous, we must explain why they are dangerous. .. We know that at the age at which your character is formed, notably during adolescence, you can fall into the hands of these movements. The problem is that you don't come out unscathed."

France has long had a contentious relationship with the Church of Scientology, which is seeking recognition as a legitimate religion in Europe. Hidalgo is president of a committee in France to monitor religious sects.

The Church of Scientology said that "a few virulently anti-religious politicians" were trying to stir up a protest against religious minorities, though ordinary French people have not joined in.

"We are seeing the latest attempt of a few ultra-secular people who are hiding behind their official titles to point a finger at religious and spiritual minorities," said Church of Scientology spokeswoman Agnes Bron.

The Los Angeles-based Church of Scientology, which counts actor Tom Cruise among its members, was founded in 1954 by L Ron Hubbard. It teaches that technology can expand the mind and help solve problems.

Talk Back No comments have been posted

Go Back