Met Keith at the usual place by the coffee shop just up from the Org about 6 p.m., and then slid along the street to the theatre where the Org was putting on some kind of a special function.

Just to make sure, I called the Org, and was told that I should show up on the BACK street, and see the people there, as they were ushering to the theatre from there. (I wonder why)

Flyers in hand, Keith and I started the picket, and about 10 seconds into it, we were spotted, and a co$ personality called the few others back away quickly.

Theatre staff person showed up quickly, asking politely what was happening, and how many we were, so I explained, and he left us alone, privately wishinjg us luck. It appears that he was not entirely comfortable with the group either.

Chris joined us, as did a group of University students, so ALL our signs were out, and it seemed to COMPLETELY disconcert the poor Org types to see that there were actually a great number of people out with signs and flyers.

People cpming along the street were taking our flyers, and stopping to comment, or ask questions. and it seemed a very good night alltogether ... enlightened a number of the students in the area, as well as some others, who may not have known a great deal about co$ before. Have to do it again sometime, soon

the unnamed one Toronto

From: hkhenson@cogeco.ca (Keith Henson)
Subject: Re: Toronto Auditor's Day Protest 21/09/2002
Date: Sun, 22 Sep 2002 14:51:25 GMT
Organization: Temple of At'L'An
Message-ID: <3d8dcd6b.566881790@news2.lightlink.com>

On Sat, 21 Sep 2002 21:24:55 -0700, ad688@freenet.toronto.on.ca wrote:

>Met Keith at the usual place by the coffee shop just up from the Org
>about 6 p.m., and then slid along the street to the theatre where the
>Org was putting on some kind of a special function.

Auditor's day. I think in scientology events only second to the LRH birthday. Major regging project. A spy who got inside earlier gave us a report that there were a large number of tables loaded with LRH dreck, maybe 25 books for every org member who came.

>Just to make sure, I called the Org, and was told that I should show
>up on the BACK street, and see the people there, as they were ushering
>to the theatre from there. (I wonder why)

Definitely a back door kind of "religion."

>Flyers in hand, Keith and I started the picket, and about 10 seconds
>into it, we were spotted, and a co$ personality called the few others
>back away quickly.
>
>Theatre staff person showed up quickly, asking politely what was
>happening, and how many we were, so I explained, and he left us alone,
>privately wishing us luck. It appears that he was not entirely
>comfortable with the group either.
>
>Chris joined us, as did a group of University students, so ALL our
>signs were out, and it seemed to COMPLETELY disconcert the poor Org
>types to see that there were actually a great number of people out
>with signs and flyers.

The theater they were using, Isabel Bader Theatre, 93 Charles St., is at the edge of the University of Toronto. I was doing a brisk business handing out flyers 100 feet up the street from where the unnamed one and Chris were picketing when this gaggle of students came by, 8 in number. They were knowledgable about scientology and very interested in what I was doing. I asked them if they wanted to join in, and they were all enthusiastic about it. So I took them back to the car and passed out 7 signs. The last one, a very nice looking co-ed, took a big stack of xenu and parsonage flyers.

They picketed in front of the theater for a while. Another student, I think one of the group's friends, was taking pictures of the event from across the street. (Definitely not a scientologist, I wonder if the story will make the University paper? If the photographer reads this, please email me scans of some photos.)

After a while they went around to the back of the theater, greatly enturbulating the scns who were sneaking in there, handing out flyers and generally having a good time. After a long time they came back, out of flyers, and very positive about the response they got from the people they talked too.

I gave them my email address because they wanted to picket the org on Yonge St. next time we were doing it.

We gave out at least 200 Xenu flyers, and a good number of Parsonage flyers as well as Chris's most recent flyer.

It was flat out dark by the time we decided to call it a night. As we were leaving, an hour after the event was supposed to have started, a car came up and parked. I asked the people if they wanted a flyer about the nut cult? The guy said they were "nut cult" members coming for the meeting. He didn't take a flyer, but I did remind him he had to write a KR about meeting the SPs, not to mention being late. Just so the org can be sure they get the KRs, he was a big guy dressed all in black. The woman he was with had a white top and a dark skirt.

They went in the *front door* of the theater a little after 8 pm. If you don't get their report, send them to "ethics." :-)

>People cpming along the street were taking our flyers, and stopping to
>comment, or ask questions. and it seemed a very good night alltogether
>... enlightened a number of the students in the area, as well as some
>others, who may not have known a great deal about co$ before. Have to
>do it again sometime, soon

It was an amazing picket. I think I could find volunteers at the University to carry picket signs against scientology any hour of the day or night.

Several of the students I talked to mentioned being a bit baffled at why Hollywood actors get into the cult. I was able to lead them through the logic in a remarkably short time. First question is "why does someone become an actor in the first place? These kids are sharp and two out of three gave "Attention" or "They like the attention"

without hesitation. From there is simple to explain the social rewards cults--all of them, not just scientology--use, and how the evolved brain reward pathway for social attention is the same one exploited by dope.

I just happened to have a few copies of my Sex, Drugs and Cults paper,

http://human-nature.com/nibbs/02/cults.html

and the most interested took copies of it. (I just might be lecturing on this at the U of T shortly.)

Have to thank the org for having an event there and giving us such an opportunity to expose a large number of University students to the Xenu story and to discover a major resource of people who think it is fun to picket scientology and inform folks about the booger eating cult.

Keith Henson

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