Toronto Picket report Aug. 10, 2002

It has been a few weeks since the downstat Toronto org was picketed. Gregg was not available today so I went down alone. I watched the org for a long time from the coffee shop and there was next to no activity, unlike last time when they had Sea Orgers all over the place. Eventually S. Putnik (who has picketed with us before) showed up. We wondered back to the car where we collected signs and flyers and started walking back to the org.

Some guys hanging out on the grass in the little park we walk through saw our signs and asked for flyers. After being boggled by $160,000 (US) space cootie story, one of them mentioned he had nearly been sucked into working there when they had the hiring sign up. As we started off he asked if he could join us. We had extras so I got another sign out and we all went over to the org. Of course I stayed on the other side of Yonge St. and S. Putnik and Nex (for nearly an ex) went down the other side and started picketing in front of the org. The org was the deadest we have seen yet. During the entire picket only one person went in.

S. said he looked in the glass when he got there and there was nobody there, but someone must have noticed because in about 15 minutes a guy who said he was a 30 year scn vet come up and start taping them and trying to pump them for their identities. About this time a woman showed up inside who sounded from the description to be Pat Felske. When this guy first came up he pretended just to be an interested person, joined in listening to S. Putnit talk about a certain refugee from California, and the cult being convicted of spying in three countries.

That's when Camera guy jumped in and wanted to know S's name. S gave him Fred Flintstone, the guy said "That's not your real name, will you give that?" And S said "no, I am not going to make it too easy, you have to work for it." (Later update, apparently they didn't even try to follow him.) Camera guy then accused S of not being a "legitimate" picker because he would not give out his name. There were a few choice words about picketers and name tags and a few words about taking a course in picketing.

The two scns seem to be highly concerned about the long conversations pedestrians were having with the picketers. Of course, what they did taking pictures of those who stopped just verified what the picketers said about the ugly nature of scn.

According to S, Nex turned out to be a natural in handing out flyers. I could tell from across the street by the wave of florescent green Xenu flyers that went up the street.

We called it a picket after about an hour and a half. Our new guy was willing to give it another try after he had some lunch but we decided it was too hot. I gave away the rest of my "Parsonage?" flyers about the tax scam and maybe 60 Xenu flyers. S and Nex gave out about 150.

It was so much fun that one of Nex's friends wants to picket with us next time. So we set a date for the next picket and he said he would show up.

If I tell what the date is, will there be sea org stuffed shirts out there waiting for us?

Keith Henson

PS This picket was fun in a different way from the two previous ones. I don't think they called the police this time, but if they did the police cars on Yonge St. didn't even slow down.