Some time ago Scientology ran what it called a 'religious freedom'
campaign. This campaign had nothing to do with freedom (or even
religion). It was designed to get tax exemption from the UK
authorities.

The church stood to gain a great deal of money by achiving this but it
nevertheless decided that the public would pay for the campaign. The
Church raised considerable sums and spent this on bus advertisements.

These advertisements were predicated upon a false premise. The
advertising was designed to look as if it were aimed at the general
public. Only one single bus route was selected. This ran past all of
the main ministries in London in the hope that people in authority
would look out of their windows, see the rather bland advertising and
assume that the Church of Scientology was a mainstream organization.

Phase two of the campaign involved hiring some large and expensive
rooms within the Selfidges Hotel on Oxford Street in London. In order
to do this they made the false claim that they were there to offer an
exhibition for invited guests. This promoted a blandly inoffensive
view of what Scientology was all about. The idea was probably that
government contacts would be invited to this showcase and kept well
away from the orgs or genuine members of the public.

Much effort and brouhaha was expended in filling this hall with
interested looking 'normal' members of the public who were really
committed Scientologists.

After a few hours the organisers realised that none of their target
audience were likely to turn up- and they were running out of fake
visitors as well. They then began to body route members of the public
into the exhibition- contrary to the promises to the hotel.

I decided to allow myself to be body routed. The aim was simply to
have a look around, introduce myself as one who is sceptical and then
leave immediately afterwards. The aim was to prove to the guys working
there that SP's do not have two heads and that it is possible to talk
to them.

I gained admittance and spent a moment talking to some Sea Org member
before saying (pleasantly enough) that I was one of the 'other guys'.

This caused a predictable explosion (they cannot even remain in the
same room as an SP without panicking) and I was told to leave- which I
readily agreed to do. No sooner had I turned to leave than I was
grabbed and prevented from doing so. The doors were then shut and
somebody started to call the police.

I could see it all going very badly so I began to scream for help at
the top of my voice- and they then let me go.

I then did a little picketing and leafleting outside and was
approached by two other Sea Org members. They were smiling their usual
covertly hostile smiles and I knew there would be further trouble. One
of them walked past me 'accidentally' bumping into me and stabbing me
covertly with a ballpoint pen as he did so. His friend approached from
the other side and it seemed for a moment that they intended to throw
me into the traffic.

I shouted to passers by that I had just been assaulted but nobody
wanted to get involved. I decided to try another tactic and started
telling them the OT III story. They retreated, first at a walking pace
and then a run as I continued with my space opera. Everybody was
looking at us by this time so I finished by pointing at their fleeing
backs and shouting 'This is Scientology!'

Somebody in the crowd then applauded.