Friday, May 9, 2008

May 10th Protest

The 4th global protest is this Saturday, from 11 am to 2 pm. As always stay on public property, and have a good time. Please read these suggestions if this is your first time. The office is at 722 N. State St. here in Bellingham.

Stop by the Forums if you have any questions.

In regards to the Scientology Press release from April. I'd like to point out CNN is reporting that the FBI has found nothing to connect anonymous with any of the accusations Scientology is making. I'll just leave it at that.

Monday, April 14, 2008

April 12th post game

Just a brief update.

Picture Thread

Thanks to everyone who came out, and to the reporters who spent a good part of their Saturday with us.

Working on a response to the CoS Press Release. It still cracks me up that they call us, normal American people, "terrorists". Truly a dichotomy between reality and what they choose to say.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

April 12th is nearly here, and with that Operation Reconnect. Here's an update.
  • Schedule. Meet in front of WWU's Viking Union at 10:30 am and walk down to the local Scientology Office at 722 N. State Street, arriving at 11:00 am. Please respect private property laws by not trespassing in their parking lot. We will be across the street at all times. We will probably stay until 2:00 pm. People may stay longer, but please don't stay alone.
  • Signs. Make them Large, to the Point. Funny signs are good too, but be sure your humor can be understood by an average person. Signs can also be directed at people inside the Scientology office. These should aim to break the conditioning upon them. Such as "Your family cares about you".
  • Masks. They're legal, and they protect your identity. You can Google "Fair Game Law" and get the gist of what this is all about. Or dig through the video evidence that exists out on the internet that shows Scientology critics being followed around, especially after anti-Scientology demonstrations. Wear masks to protect them from knowing who you are. It is unlikely that they will follow us home here in Bellingham, but you never know.
  • Code of Conduct. Make sure you read the code of conduct, it will keep you and everyone safe. Most of all, use your own common sense. Also remember we should be having fun doing this too.
  • Music and Snacks. An anon has volunteered to bring a boom box. So if you have some music you want to listen to bring a CD. Bring some snacks and water so you don't get hungry.

Finally, here's some awesome news reports.

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Some updates

If you're looking for one video to show people who are new to this whole thing, this is the one you're looking for: ONWARD the road to March 15th. If you like it Digg it.

And here is the best article I've read since the Time Magazine article from 1991. A 6 page expose of Scientology in the magazine Radar which also does an excellent job of explaining why many of us are involved.

We also have a new forum for discussion courtesy of a kind Seattle anon.

http://lulznw.com/viewforum.php?f=13

Sign up and let your voice be heard. There are several things we need to work on, especially flyering.

Saturday, March 22, 2008

http://xenutv.wordpress.com/2008/03/17/a-heartbreaking-tale-from-dc/

Anonymous not only did an effective protest on March 15th but they gave voice to a young woman who grew up in Scientology and lost her father to the cult. John H. Boucher committed suicide after being convinced he was an SP.


Sunday, March 16, 2008

3/15/2008 - Scientology Protest - Bellingham, WA

Here is a video of our speech given at the 3/15 protest at the local Scientology mission here in Bellingham, WA

Thursday, March 13, 2008

As the Ides Grows Nigh...

Well! It's been quite a while since the announcement of the Ides of March rally--one month, to be exact. This has given us a lot of time to prepare, and to evaluate what things went right on 2/10/2008 and what things needed improving. We are beginning to muster once again for this, and we do believe these rallies will become a regular occurrence for us.

Here's our current schedule:
  • The day for our rally is on 3/15/2008, outside of the local Scientology mission here in Bellingham (at 722 N State St.). Please respect private property laws by not trespassing in their parking lot. We will most likely be situated across the street from the mission itself. It shouldn't be too hard to spot us.
  • WWU Students and Bus People - You will be meeting at 10:30 am in front of the VU building (the side that's on High St., facing the Library). This is a great place to meet as it's a central bus hub, and it is situated within close proximity of the library building so those wishing to print off last minute fliers may do so.
  • The general time for meeting up is at 11:00 am on Saturday. I know most of us would rather be doing something else on our weekends, especially students who are currently feeling the pre-Spring Break pinch by Academic fingers. Please try to show up at around that time, but if you are late don't feel like it's all for naught. Drive/walk on by and see if we're still there, and join up if we are.
  • In regards to delicious cake. Bring cake for yourselves, and don't serve it to more than a few friends lest you have a food handler's permit. One alternative is to bring cupcakes. These are pre-packaged, and therefore do not require a food handler's permit. While the scientologists at the local mission just sit/stand around, chain smoking cigarettes while watching us or making poor attempts at bull-baiting, don't underestimate their prowess at litigation and blowing a whistle on anything that could shake up the protest. If they see us doing anything that warrants police, whether or not it directly affects them, they will not hesitate to call. Please look at the other rallies and protests that took place on 2/10 and some of the previous protests done by other veterans, and you will see just how far they will go sometimes to silence dissent.
  • Wear Masks. They're legal, and they protect your identity. You can Google "Fair Game Law" and get the gist of what this is all about. Or dig through the video evidence that exists out on the internet that shows Scientology critics being followed around, especially after anti-Scientology demonstrations. Wear masks to protect them knowing who you are and prevent them from attempting to ruin your reputation. One of their favorite things to do is to gang up on someone and toss out verbal implications that the dissenter is a child molester or something to that tune (and yes, there's even a video on the net showing that).

Here is a list of what we currently require:
- Music (of some sort)
- Water (bottled; unopened)
- Etc.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Once again, this protest will take place across the street from the local Scientology ORG here in Bellingham (address for the ORG is 722 N. State St.). If you desire to come, here is some information:

LOCATION MAP -- Including Protest Locations and Off Limits Areas



Everything is labeled and colored accordingly. Just remember to stay off of the ORG's property during the event. The sidewalks adjacent to the CoS building are public property, but the the two protest locations are better spots for two reasons:
  1. The CoS has quite a history of dealing aggressively with trespassers. We'd rather not have someone get arrested for accidentally stepping foot into their parking lot.
  2. The very curvy nature of the intersection here results in us being seen most in the green zones. This was done by trial and error at the 2/10 protest.
We'd also recommend that you take a look at the rules before heading out to the protest.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Rules of the Protest/Rally

Here is a list of rules and guidelines that have been effected by the general consensus of anonymous individuals from around the world. These rules and guidelines should be heeded at the protest/rally/raid here in Bellingham:

Rule #1:

Stay cool, especially when harassed. You are an ambassador of Anonymous. Although individuals trying to disrupt your demonstration will get on your nerves, you must not lose your temper. Doing so will harm the protest and tarnish the reputation of Anonymous.

Rule #2:
Comply with the orders of law enforcement officers above all else. Doing otherwise is harmful to the demonstration as a whole and may compromise your performance as a human being. Do not request badge numbers unless you are being treated in a very abusive manner, as doing so will anger officers.

Rule #3:
Notify city officials. Most jurisdictions either have rules about public protests, or would prefer to be notified that they are taking place. Know the rules for your jurisdiction and abide by them.

Rule #4:
Always be across the street from the object being protested.

Rule #5:
In the absence of a road, find another natural barrier between yourself and the target of protest. Doing so will make it more difficult for individuals hostile to your cause to come and harass you.

Rule #6:
Stay on public property. You may be charged for trespassing if you do not.

Rule #8:
No violence.

Rule #9:
No weapons. The demonstration is a peaceful event. Your weapons. You will not need them.

Rule #10:
No alcohol or pre-drinking. Violating this rule may easily precipitate a violation of rules 1 and 2.

Rule #11:
No graffiti, destruction, or vandalism.

Rule #12:
If you want to do something stupid, pick another day. These should be self explanatory. Violation of these rules during a demonstration will tarnish the reputation of Anonymous, harm the demonstration itself and leave you vulnerable to attention from law enforcement.

Rule #13:
Anonymous is legion. Never be alone. Isolation during a protest marks you as a target for handlers who wish to provoke an angry reaction from you and other hostiles. In keeping with this principle...
Rule #14:
Organize in squads of 10 to 15 people.

Rule #15:
One or two megaphones per squad. A megaphone is helpful for maintaining the overall cohesion of a demonstration and spreading your message. However, too many will confuse the public and render you hearing impaired.

Rule #16:
Know the dress code. Forming a loose yet reasonable dress code for protest members will help to maintain cohesion and get the public to take you seriously.

Rule #17:
Cover your face. This will prevent your identification from videos taken by hostiles, other protesters or security. Use scarves, hats and sunglasses. Masks are not necessary, and donning them in the context of a public demonstration is forbidden in some jurisdictions.

Rule #18:
Bring water. A dehydrated, thirsty Anonymous is not a useful Anonymous.

Rule #19:
Wear good shoes. Following these rules will assure your comfort during the demonstration. Keep in mind that demonstrations may often be quite lengthy.

Rule #20:
Signs, fliers, and phrases. Have yours ready. Make sure that signs are large enough to read. Also ensure that the text on your signs and your phrases are pertinent to the target of the protest.

Rule #21:
Prepare legible, uncomplicated and accurate flyers to hand out to those who wish to know more regarding the motivations behind your actions.

Rule #22:
Document the demonstration. Videos and pictures of the event may be used to corroborate your side of the story if law enforcement get involved. Furthermore, posting images and videos of your heroic actions all over the internet is bound to generate win, exhorting other Anonymous to follow your glorious example.

2/10/2008 Protest - Epic Win on a Small Scale

Small town, small org. I think even just 5 people showing up would have been an epic win.

At any given time we had about 10 people, with about 20 people total (some left, others joined later).

There was a security truck waiting for us when we got there. The org itself was closed (it's a small place), but a couple of scientologists were popping in and out of the building. They took pictures of us, and we took pictures ourselves, and some small video.

A lot of people were supportive and honked when they drove by. We didn't get much pedestrian traffic because the org is located at the edge of downtown where people rarely walk. We got a lot of bicyclists ringing bells and yelling "honk, honk!" though.