Protests - Protest Materials
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- Writer currently working on this page: Gigazz
Basic Protest Materials
Newcomers to the cause are welcomed, but without the proper tools, protesting the Cult of Scientology has proven dangerous. It's absolutely essential that you do not underestimate the enemy. In the resource section of WhyWeProtest.net you can find fliers, card designs, and suggestions for slogans on signs - but here are the basics we will go over:
- Signs
- Fliers
- Preperation
Signs
When it comes to signs, it's very much like the advertising business. You have to get someones attention very fast and try to hold their interest in a very short amount of time. Slogans on signs should be kept short, bold, to the point, and if at all possible, colorful. Anything to get somebody's eyes on them. Dancing around like a maniac on the sidewalk might also help. Avoid using slogans like, "HONK IF YOU HATE SCIENTOLOGY", because it makes you look bad and they can play the victim by claiming religious bigotry. Although lengthier, "HONK IF YOU THINK SCIENTOLOGY IS A CULT", or "HONK IF YOU HATE CULTS" would work better without giving the Scientologists the same opportunity to play the sympathy card, or by at least making that avenue look less attractive.
Your target audience? You've got three to choose from. Anonymous itself(memes/inside jokes, not very productive but certainly fun), the Scientologists themselves, and the public.
Suggested slogans:
YOUFOUNDTHECARD.COM
WHYARETHEYDEAD.NET
ANGRYGAYPOPE.COM
ENDTHECULT.COM
WHYWEPROTEST.NET
or your local Anonymous website would work, too.
-Public:
SCIENTOLOGY KILLS (bonus points if you make the S's dollar signs)
RELIGION IS FREE
KNOWLEDGE IS FREE
SCIENTOLOGY IS A CULT
SCIENTOLOGY STALKS IT'S CRITICS (referring to the office of special affairs)
ASK ME ABOUT ___ (fill in the blank. Fair Game, Disconnection, Lisa McPherson, The Cult, just make sure you know what you're talking about and be prepared to answer for it/defend it.)
-Anonymous
Any meme or nonsensical poke at Scientology will do. These signs lighten the mood but can turn off the public.
for example, LONGCAT IS LONG, or WHERE ARE YOUR BODY THETANS NOW?
-Scientologists
Any sign directed at Scientologists should be to help. Personal attacks are very funny but they can make the public frown upon you and might make enemies of potential ex-Scientologists, so be careful if you make up a sign that saids DAVID MISCAVIAGE SUCKS. Better yet, COB SQUIRRELS THE TECH. This uses terms Scientologists are familiar with, it'll grab their attention. Maybe it'll make them think twice. With this kind of a sign, that's your goal, make them think twice.
EXSCIENTOLOGYKIDS.ORG (Stories they'll be familiar with, good resource regardless of who it's aimed at)
NEED HELP? CALL TOLL FREE 866-XSEAORG
EXSEAORG.COM (an EXCELLENT resource)
Fliers and Cards
Fliers are the lifeblood of your operation. They have tons of information and people can take this with them when you hand them out at protests. Sure, some get tossed in the trash, but many do not - Especially if your flier design is riveting enough to warrant some sort of deeper investigation.
If you can't make it to a protest, fliers have many other avenues for your to explore. First off, there's the PLASTER AROUND TOWN method. [b]Always flier in groups of two or more,[/b] especially if you're near an org. Tape or staple them up wherever you can, on the walls at school, bulletin boards at the doctor/dentists office/library, folded inside books. There is lots of room to be creative here. Check out a local cafe and ask to leave a pile of fliers by the cashier(most places allow you to do this). There is no limit on what you can do and how creative you can get with fliers.
There are many flier designs out there that would fit your intents and purposes. However, it's always rewarding to make your own. If you cannot aquire Photoshop, which is one of the easiest image-editing programs to work with, The Gimp is free. A flier should be simple to read, attractive graphically, ideally black and white(easier to print, especially if you mooch ink off of the library or another public computer), concise, and containing all the right information. You only need to skim the surface of Fair Game - Quote the 'Enemy SP Order' of Hubbards instead of quoting a whole two and a half paragraphs from Paulette Coopers Scandal Behind The Scandal of Scientology. Keep the text big and clear and maybe throw a picture in there, or one of those URLs we saw in the SIGNS section. Overly complicated signs will confuse to reader, with too much information or too many pictures distracting them from what you're trying to say - overly simplistic fliers will be too vague to satisfy any curiosity or generate any more - You've got to strike a balance. We, as humans, have very short attention spans when it comes to things like this.
Essentially, with a flier, you want to go in, make your pitch, and leave the reader thinking, all within the few seconds it takes to skim a flier.
Cards are very similar in distribution. Not typically handed out, though useful as they are small and very to the point, cards typically carry a URL and maybe a small graphic. That's it.
YOUFOUNDTHECARD.COM, for obvious reasons, is a favorite slogan for these - With the use of Microsoft Word and some cardstock(available at any local Staples, Office Max, ect), you can print your own set of sturdy cards in no time. There's plenty of room to get creative when it comes to these, though, despite the typically simple design, which is meant to be eye-catching and immediatly give you just enough information to tantalize you. It leaves you curious and wanting more.
How do you use cards? Put them wherever. And I mean, [i]wherever[/i]. In phone booths, in Hubbard's books at the local library, in those clear plastic napkin holders at restaurants, on sinks in bathrooms, under keyboards, on bus seats, wherever you think somebody might see them, like in the pockets of jeans at the mall. Try underneath the oranges at the grocery store or next to items on sale. Cards are a fantastic and fun way to spread the word.
Preperation
It's very important before you go out into the world like the beautiful Anonyfetus you are that you understand exactly what you're talking about, and who you're facing. Scientology is a dangerous cult. They have been known to stalk, abuse, and harass their critics, in some cases driving them to suicide. This is serious business.
There is a lot of fun to be had, but before you can worry about that, you'll need to be prepared. Make sure you know and double-check that your local cell knows your coming and when the protest begins. Some orgs are more aggressive than others, make sure you know how the cultists in your area have been known to deal with local criticism - With punches? With stalkers? With Cease and Desist orders? Bullbaiting? Be intimately aware of what you're getting into and how they behave. Never underestimate or purposefully (over)enturbulate a Scientologist - as we've seen before they are unstable.
Be certain to cover your face and keep it covered. If you must eat caek, work it out with a trusted fellow Anon to cover you with a sign or something so you can snack. Be on the look out for freaky OSA agents and suspicious cars/photographers. If some guy walks past you on the sidewalk more than three times and he keeps taking your fliers, stop giving them to him. If some guy is taking pictures of your lisence plate, film the exchange where you confront him.
That's another thing: [b]PIX OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.[/b] ALWAYS have a camera with you, always. Scientology has been known to be less insane(usually) if they know there will be evidence. Also, it helps if they do start accusing you of doing illegal things/harassing them, as you'll have proof to the opposite.
Don't feed the trolls. If you are being bullbaited, no matter how enraged they'll try to make you, keep a cool head. You'll be stronger for it, and it'll make dealing with the Scilons in future instances easier once you get the hang of it. You can talk to them; You can refute their points.. Just remember if you start yelling or losing it, they'll have rights to call you a nutjob.
Have a plan. Look at a map of your area. Know where to park, where to change clothes, how to get out without being followed... Always check to see if you're being followed when you go to leave, as well. You can lose them if you're smart about it.
Know how to hide your sign when you walk back to your car. Walking around without a mask post-op blatantly carrying that Anti-Scientology poster board around town won't make you very anonymous, now, will it?
And don't forget to be prepared to talk to the public. If they ask you to cite WHY you think this about this subject, be prepared to offer up quotes from the horses mouth and clear instances. You are not a conspiracy nut, and if you come off as one, you'll lose the respect of the locals.
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