It was meant to be a story about misguided teens, internet geeks on a poorly thought out power trip, smothering the streets with meme-based mockery and idiotic in-jokes… But what we found at the heart of Sydney’s Anonymous protest group wasn’t so misled – not anymore. We found an evil that was as real as my credit card debt and equally as terrifying.
Anonymous began as an internet message board, where the angry collective posted as “Anonymous” and has spread into a world-wide cooperative of anti-scientology protesters.
I had stumbled onto their message board a few months back when researching the anti-biker laws in NSW. A poster was trying to raise awareness of the new Biker Legislation, to which a site administrator had replied:
Re: SYDNEY PROTEST PLANNING
Sorry mate, protests are only against the church. Like said, we are not your personal army.
-Sydney Anonymous
Surely an angry collective should be used to fight every human rights abuse – so why such a ridiculous specialty? Why focus on such a whimsical religion as Scientology? I mean, sure it’s ridiculous, sure it’s founded in falsity and violence – but so is any religion worth it’s worship. I’m not going to lead a mass rally against George Lucas fans anytime soon – so why a bunch of L. Ron Hubbard Fans?
So, with Saturday approaching, we charged the camera, grabbed a notepad and stumbled along to the meeting point for OPERATION BODYROUTE. As we approached Central Park, we expected to see hundreds of masked strangers littering the grassy spread like angry pigeons, but all we saw was a tiny collective of angry arts students.
Immediately my back arched… I will never understand for the life of me, but something about a collective of web-geeks will forever smother me in rage (clash of personalities perhaps?). Regardless, I immediately started jotting notes:
- New scientist backpack
- Happy Hardcore
- Douchebags
- Misguided creativity
- How is he so sweaty?
I already had my story written, I had already cast my judging pen – all I needed was a few choice quotes and pictures to conclude what I was going to write. But as I made my way through the crowd, listening to uneducated viewpoint after uneducated viewpoint, I met a man with silver hair and black nails (bruised – not painted) in a puffy, black bomber jacket.
Within seconds of introducing myself, I had discovered that this man, David Graham, was a key member of the Scientology church for over a decade and had actually fled the church in a ‘McQueenish’ escape in 1989.
What David told me was incredible! Stories of kidnap, forced labour, mind control and officious titles like; Inspector General, Quality Executive and Case Supervisor… Then reaching his brilliant crescendo with the tale of his brilliant escape from a ‘PRC’ (Project Rehabilitation Course)
The more we talked, the more questions I had, and the more questions I asked – the more answers he had.
Suddenly, before I knew what was happening, I was lost in a story of science technology, human trafficking, pyramid schemes and the constant sub-text of lies and manipulation that resides behind the world’s most successful cult.
What David told me will take a few weeks of research and double-checking before I print it here, but rest assured – the more you get to know about this ridiculous religion… the more you have to know. It will take me a few weeks, but I’ll have a story for you – and it will be far greater than any protest piece you can imagine.
So that story will come soon, but as far as the protest goes; sure the kids were predominately clueless. Sure the protest was misguided and sure you’ll never get the public onside by wearing scary masks and blaring heavy metal into the winter air… but in the end, any protest is better than none.
The powers that be need to know that people can still get angry and I need to feel that good can still win over evil. I just hope that with these Anti-Terror inspired laws building beneath the streets of this State, we don’t get distracted by the smaller enemies at our city’s gates.
Rob Scattergood.
Pictures by James Bloodworth
I dig it. I’ve yet to attend one of these protests but i’ve been following them since early 2008. The stuff that’s said about Scientology IS pretty messed up, but I think a lot of the people are actually just bored and using it as a hobby rather than actually being concerned about the plight of these people. Anyway i liked the story, but I think you might have already reached your opinion on the protest before you even got there.
Thanks Doug,
You’re absolutely on the money and it was quite wrong of me to judge so harshly before attending the protest. I think I was hoping to be proven wrong, wanting desperately to see kids fighting the good fight. You make a brilliant point with: “a lot of the people are actually just bored and using it as a hobby rather than actually being concerned about the plight of these people.”
well said bro ,, im with you on everyword, The world has changed since 9/11 it seesm lik evil took over and has been wining since , world has onny gotten worse for the good people .. were just modern day slaves !