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From Tony O's blog: Angry Gay Pope lands in jail.
Long time Scientology critic and filmmaker Donald Myers — better known as Angry Gay Pope — was arrested yesterday after Scientology alleged that he stalked a member of its Sea Org.
At his website, AGP has chronicled his legal issues with Scientology Sea Org member Lissa Uvizl, who took out a temporary restraining order in 2008 after she objected to being filmed. (See a still from that video to the right, with Uvizl telling AGP to leave her alone. He pointed out that they were on a public sidewalk. The scene was shot near the Hollywood Guaranty Building on Hollywood Boulevard, a major Scientology landmark.)
AGP characterized the restraining order as a form of harassment, and indicated on his website that any orders against him had expired. Yesterday, he told former church member Karen de la Carriere that he was planning to attend a protest. She later heard that he was being held in Los Angeles County Jail.
We called AGP’s attorney, Graham Berry, for more information about what happened. He told us that AGP had wanted to picket the Hollywood Guaranty Building on the day of Guy Fawkes Night. “At some point he stuck his head in the door of the L. Ron Hubbard Life Exhibition,” Berry told us. That’s the museum to Hubbard on the ground floor of the HGB.
“He said something to Lissa, who had a restraining order against him before. They used that as a pretext to call in the Los Angeles Police Department and accuse him of stalking,” Berry says. But once Pope was taken to a police station, he convinced officers there to view the footage that he’d filmed, and Berry says after they did so, they decided not to charge Pope. “But Lissa insisted, saying he had been following her home for months,” Berry says, which Pope denies. AGP was booked, and he spent the night at the Metro Detention Center downtown, held on a felony and with bail set at $150,000. Berry says it’s his understanding that Uvizl also obtained another restraining order against Pope.
Berry is recovering from eye surgery and cannot attend court this morning. He expected Pope to be represented by a public defender today, and we’ll update this post when we hear whether Pope could get himself released from custody.
http://tonyortega.org/
I commented.. I'm not the least bit surprised that AGP was arrested. He's always been known for pushing the envelope when it comes to protesting Scientology & ALWAYS giving them ample justification for having him falsely arrested. I have protested many times with AGP and another critics & anons. There have always been the understanding that the cult is looking for any reason to have a critic arrested, so we take the precautions to not give the cult an opportunity to do that, i.e., obey all laws, respect private property, don't stalk staff members.
Most critics have successfully protested the cult without incident. I believe this is AGP's 4th arrest in the last 4 years.. It's not wise to push the boundaries in a city like Los Angeles, where the police are well-known to be very comfy & protective of the cult because of the multiple fundraisers it holds for the LAPD & LAPD Kids every year, not to mention that LA County Sheriff Lee Baca has been openly supportive of the cult & he attends many of their events every year.
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AGP remains in jail. A bond hearing is scheduled for tomorrow. I suspect Elliot Abelson & Rick Moxon will be burning the midnight oil concocting a phony story & drilling Lissa Uvizl on how to play the weeping, crime victim in mortal fear of her life.
Long time Scientology critic and filmmaker Donald Myers — better known as Angry Gay Pope — was arrested yesterday after Scientology alleged that he stalked a member of its Sea Org.
At his website, AGP has chronicled his legal issues with Scientology Sea Org member Lissa Uvizl, who took out a temporary restraining order in 2008 after she objected to being filmed. (See a still from that video to the right, with Uvizl telling AGP to leave her alone. He pointed out that they were on a public sidewalk. The scene was shot near the Hollywood Guaranty Building on Hollywood Boulevard, a major Scientology landmark.)
AGP characterized the restraining order as a form of harassment, and indicated on his website that any orders against him had expired. Yesterday, he told former church member Karen de la Carriere that he was planning to attend a protest. She later heard that he was being held in Los Angeles County Jail.
We called AGP’s attorney, Graham Berry, for more information about what happened. He told us that AGP had wanted to picket the Hollywood Guaranty Building on the day of Guy Fawkes Night. “At some point he stuck his head in the door of the L. Ron Hubbard Life Exhibition,” Berry told us. That’s the museum to Hubbard on the ground floor of the HGB.
“He said something to Lissa, who had a restraining order against him before. They used that as a pretext to call in the Los Angeles Police Department and accuse him of stalking,” Berry says. But once Pope was taken to a police station, he convinced officers there to view the footage that he’d filmed, and Berry says after they did so, they decided not to charge Pope. “But Lissa insisted, saying he had been following her home for months,” Berry says, which Pope denies. AGP was booked, and he spent the night at the Metro Detention Center downtown, held on a felony and with bail set at $150,000. Berry says it’s his understanding that Uvizl also obtained another restraining order against Pope.
Berry is recovering from eye surgery and cannot attend court this morning. He expected Pope to be represented by a public defender today, and we’ll update this post when we hear whether Pope could get himself released from custody.
http://tonyortega.org/
I commented.. I'm not the least bit surprised that AGP was arrested. He's always been known for pushing the envelope when it comes to protesting Scientology & ALWAYS giving them ample justification for having him falsely arrested. I have protested many times with AGP and another critics & anons. There have always been the understanding that the cult is looking for any reason to have a critic arrested, so we take the precautions to not give the cult an opportunity to do that, i.e., obey all laws, respect private property, don't stalk staff members.
Most critics have successfully protested the cult without incident. I believe this is AGP's 4th arrest in the last 4 years.. It's not wise to push the boundaries in a city like Los Angeles, where the police are well-known to be very comfy & protective of the cult because of the multiple fundraisers it holds for the LAPD & LAPD Kids every year, not to mention that LA County Sheriff Lee Baca has been openly supportive of the cult & he attends many of their events every year.
-------------------------------------------------
AGP remains in jail. A bond hearing is scheduled for tomorrow. I suspect Elliot Abelson & Rick Moxon will be burning the midnight oil concocting a phony story & drilling Lissa Uvizl on how to play the weeping, crime victim in mortal fear of her life.
