They decried what they termed a coercive cult. Their targets called them “cyber-terrorists.”
Needless to say, it wasn’t just another Sunday brunch hour in Westville Village.
Two dozen foes of the Church of Scientology calling themselves “Anonymous” decided to gather on the sidewalk on Whalley Avenue to leaflet and make statements against the organization. The picketers said they met each other online; they came from across the state.
It was one of many anti-Scientology demonstrations across the country centering on a video made by church member and actor Tom Cruise. Protesters accused the church of trying to suppress the video, which sparked ridiculing parodies. The church has responded that it was a video produced for internal, not public, use. (Click here to watch the video.)
The Connecticut protesters gathered across the street from the Scientologist storefront on Whalley Avenue near the corner of Blake. Church members huddled inside the storefront watching the protest, while Officer Brian Donnelly sat in a parked cruiser in between them, keeping the peace.
The protesters accused the church of using “deceptive” tactics to “take advantage of people who have a sincere need for friendship and support.”
A flier the group distributed also accused the church of “requiring exorbitant ‘fixed donations’ in order for members to grow within the group… Scientology should not have tax-exempt status. They operate like a business, not a church.”
Asked why many of them covered their faces with scarves or masks, picketers said the church has retaliated against public critics.
Patty Pieniadz did not wear a mask. Pieniadz, who’s 54 and from New London, said she used to belong to the church. She said she worked in a unit that discredited former members and critics by “stealing trash, following people around” and publicizing their personal court records.
Click on the play arrow to watch Pieniadz describe her reasons for leaving the church and going public with criticisms. Click here to see what was posted about her on a web site that criticizes Scientology’s critics.
Inside the Scientology office, Rev. Carol Yingling had a two-page statement ready to respond to the protest.
The statement terms the “Anonymous” group “a group of cyber-terrorists who hide their identities behind masks and computer anonymity” and “perpetuate religious hate crimes.”
“Religious bigotry of any nature is deplorable and profoundly affects the entire community,” the statement argued. “The hate crimes of ‘Anonymous’ should be condemned.”
Click here to read the entire statement.
And click here to listen to an interview with a Church of Scientology leader, conducted by Mark Oppenheimer for the Independent’s “Castaway” podcast.