Passing out homemade flyers and waving posters reading “Religion is Free, Scientology is Not” and “Trade Secrets are for Business, Not Religion,” about 200 masked and bandanna-clad protesters stood at the intersection of Beacon and Hereford streets — in front of the Church of Scientology — despite the freezing drizzle yesterday.
They call themselves Anonymous: They are either an uncommonly elaborate Internet prank or a grassroots collective of technologically-inclined cyber-activists. Either way, they are united in their distaste and distrust of the Church of Scientology.
Anonymous’s efforts have been largely organized through the Internet though the group does not have a central figure head or executive board. It received widespread attention about a month ago following the widely publicized leak of an internal promotional video for the Church featuring celebrity Scientologist Tom Cruise.
The video was available online for a short time before the Church of Scientology sent out scores of cease-and-desist letters. One site, Gawker.com, said it will not take the video down because of its newsworthiness.
The curtains of the Scientology building at 448 Beacon St. were drawn during most of yesterday’s protest, but a video camera sticking out of a top floor window filmed the protesters as they begged motorists to “honk if you hate Scientology.” Many drivers responded to the signs, creating a deafening roar with cars, taxi and fire trucks horns.
The demonstration was one part of Anonymous’s global-scale operation. “Anons” in more than a dozen other countries are staging identical demonstrations in protest of the actions — but not the core beliefs — of the Church of Scientology.
“I’m here because the Church of Scientology is a dangerous cult,” said masked protester Wes Cohen. “Of course, everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. We are simply protesting the Church’s deceitful practices.”
Gerard Renna, board member of the Church of Scientology in Boston, said while Anonymous participates in “illegal activities,” the church offers tutoring and anti-crime programs.
“They are insidious, they are treacherous,” he said. “This is a dangerous group. They are going to lessen freedom here. We advocate total freedom.”
The Church of Scientology released a statement on the eve of the protests reading, “‘Anonymous’ is perpetrating religious hate crimes against Churches of Scientology and individual Scientologists for no reason other than religious bigotry,” and compared the group’s claims to those of terrorist and hate groups.
Former Scientology member Larry Brennan, who said he drove from Concord, Vt., for the protest, was not masked but came to support the demonstrators.
Brennan said he was a high-ranking member of the Church of Scientology until 1984. He said he has become an outspoken opponent of the Church during the past 18 months because Church members made serious personal threats to his immediate family. Brennan said he did not want the details of the ordeal publicized for his family’s sake.
Brennan said he joined the Church of Scientology in September 1973 after buying a Dianetics book from a hitchhiker he picked up. During his time with the Church, he said he held multiple national-level positions, including a five-year stint as the Church’s legal director.
Brennan said he was also part of the Watchdog Committee, an anonymous group within the Church given secret missions — “orders” or “advices” — directly from Church founder and science-fiction novelist L. Ron Hubbard.
In his dealings with the Church, Brennan said he saw an endless chain of deceit, embezzlement and even physical violence.
“I’ve worked with [current Scientology leader] David Miscavige,” he said, claiming that he had seen Miscavige physically and otherwise intimidate people.
Despite his grievances with the Church, Brennan said he hesitates to attack the tenants of Scientology, because he said every person is entitled to his or her own beliefs.
“Every religion has components of their belief that are strange, but what’s behind [the Church of Scientology] is a tremendous amount of fraud,” he said. “It’s abusive.”
Brennan said the turnout reminded him of his own protesting and youth culture in the 1960s.
“The beauty is that [the demonstrators] are independent, articulate people,” he said. “They are taking a stand against this cult.”
As for the long-term consequences, Brennan said he is cautiously optimistic.
“I think this will cause people to look at Scientology’s provable offenses,” he said. “It may take years, in my opinion, but it can happen. With the help of Anonymous, people are learning it’s not just a joke.”
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