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Scientologists become aggressive during Hollywood Christmas Parade

Smurf

Gold Meritorious SP
I attended the Christmas Parade this year which really peeved the Scientology staff when I chose to watch it in front of the HGB. Later, they physically tried to block me from walking in front of the building. Now long after, Doug Owens showed up and began filming.

Scientology guard & an OSA staffer confronted him & threatened to arrest him. Not long afterwards, Doug found himself being arrested & roughed up by 5-6 LAPD officers acting on a false report filed by guard Andy Knapp who claimed Doug was trying to climb on a stage where LRH Gallery manager Lissa Uvizl was narrating the parade (videos proved this not to be the case).

An officer threatened to arrest me if I approached & filmed the cops roughing Doug up.

[video=youtube;Ob0YIIAP650]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob0YIIAP650&feature=player_embedded[/video]

[video=youtube;9DgIQ9Pl13E]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DgIQ9Pl13E&feature=player_embedded[/video]

[video=youtube;gtbF9JWXMSM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtbF9JWXMSM&feature=player_embedded[/video]

[video=youtube;H2ahFKOb-Pc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2ahFKOb-Pc&feature=player_embedded[/video]

Doug posted on OCMB...

Last night at the Hollywood Christmas Parade, I watched part of the parade in front of Scientology's Hollywood Guarantee Building, HGB. They had a small stage in the curb lane and I stood next to the stage on the sidewalk. My presences watching the parade was too much for Scientology's inner fanatical core who sign billion year contracts: the Sea Org. Sea Org security guard, Andy, followed me wherever I went and got inches in front of my face telling me to leave the area despite the fact it was a public sidewalk with many others watching the parade.

A short-time later, 3 LAPD police officers grabbed me by my arms, pulling them back and up, which lowered my head, and ran me at a fast speed head-first into the granite side of the HGB building. My head struck the granite and the officers cuffed me and pushed me into the front of the HGB building.

They claimed I committed the offense of loitering. I knew the that was nonsense and told them so. They then changed their story to disturbing the peace. They claimed the Sea Org security guard reported to them, falsely, that I had tried to get on their Way to Happiness stage, and that I been disruptive.

The officers kept me cuffed for over 45 minutes while the constantly pushed me into the side of the HGB building. I demanded to see a supervisor and when he appeared I demanded they uncuff me; he refused. After about 20 minutes, the sergeant told me he would uncuff me if I agreed to leave the sidewalk in front of the HGB.

I told him he would have to tell everyone on the sidewalk watching the parade to leave as I was doing nothing different than them. This continued for about 30 minutes.

The sergeant told me he was going to take me into the station and I would stay in jail until Tuesday to see a judge. He urged me to agree to leave. I refused and told him to go ahead and take me in. But he constantly delayed; I had violated no law. The police violated my 4th Amendment rights by going through my pockets without consent and by keeping me detained.

They used excessive force by ramming my head into a granite wall and pushing me against the wall for so long. The Sea Org security guards violated the law by making false and malicious reports to the police.

Eventually, the sergeant agreed to unhand-cuff me and to not demand I leave. I, did, however file a complaint at the scene against these abuses. I want to add the LAPD is great in the way they treat complaints seriously and professionally, and tonight was no exception. After this, I resumed my position next to the stage to watch the end of the parade.

The officers involved were: LAPD Police Officer 1 Farrell 36164, LAPD Police Officer 1 Acosta 36470, LAPD Police Officer 1 Shaw 37209 and Sgt. 2 Davis 32256 of the Hollywood Division. A second Sgt took my complaint in a professional manner.
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A personal Note: I take exception to Doug's reporting of the LAPD treating citizen's complaints "seriously & professionally" given what he had to experience at the hands of the LAPD Sunday night. The LAPD never takes these complaints seriously because citizens complain about LAPD behavior all the time. This is where Doug & I will have to disagree, and you will have to ask him why he's playing both sides of the fence when it comes to the LAPD, when they succumb to the demands of the cult they have long favored in Los Angeles.

When I was roughed up by LAPD Porter, while wearing a knee brace, years ago at Big Blue (the lighting of their new sign), I got lip service from LAPD staff over my complaint until I got an attorney involved who contacted & provided DVDs of the incident to Mayor Viilaraigosa, the Los Angeles City Council & the ACLU. Only then, did the LAPD command feel compelled to take action with Officer Porter being reprimanded & removed from the roster of future Scilon events..

The LAPD's longtime schmoozing of the cult is well-known. During my filming last night of Andy & Franck, several cops consistently walked back & forth behind me checking me out. I presume they said nothing because my conversations with the two guards were amicable.

It was later, after Doug was handcuffed & being roughed up by the cops, I moved into film the abuse, that Andy pointed me out to a cop who then approached me & threatened to arrest me for "interfering with police" if I approached Doug & filmed his being detained.

The LAPD's threat of arresting a critic 'loitering" is one of their oft-used 'rabbit in the hat' charges when conceding to the requests of Scientologists. They have threatened me & other critics in the past with the same charge when protesting on L Ron Hubbard Way, the Celebrity Center, and Winter Wonderland.

Never at any time did Doug attempt to get on the stage. This was yet another false charge asserted by the Scilons to create a 'noisy investigation' and set him up to be arrested. These bogus attempts are not new to Los Angeles Scilons, and you'd think the LAPD would be cognizant of such bogus attempts as I believe they are, when they're not busy schmoozing & kissing the ass of their Scilon friends.

This is why it is vitally important.. especially in Los Angeles.. where the LAPD is involved... to have a video camera running.. you will see in my videos, while Doug is being detained, cops often looking at me while I was videotaping the scene from a distance.. they were not happy about it.

I later spoke to one of the sergeants there and told him about my incident with "Flyer Guy" where Rick Moxon tried.. but failed.. to nail me for 'assault' on a Scientologist handler during the Grand Opening of Kirstie Alley's 'Organic Liaison' shop in Los Feliz.

The LAPD were over-the-top in kissing the cult's ass that night, as well.
 
I attended the Christmas Parade this year which really peeved the Scientology staff when I chose to watch it in front of the HGB. Later, they physically tried to block me from walking in front of the building. Now long after, Doug Owens showed up and began filming.

Scientology guard & an OSA staffer confronted him & threatened to arrest him. Not long afterwards, Doug found himself being arrested & roughed up by 5-6 LAPD officers acting on a false report filed by guard Andy Knapp who claimed Doug was trying to climb on a stage where LRH Gallery manager Lissa Uvizl was narrating the parade (videos proved this not to be the case).

An officer threatened to arrest me if I approached & filmed the cops roughing Doug up. ...

Take it to the ACLU.


Mark A. Baker
 
G

Gottabrain

Guest
Hey Gary,

Glad to see you're still active in the fight against COS. Sounds like an exciting night and I agree with you - LAPD is deeply corrupt and abusive, possibly the worst PD in the US. It's a shame you guys had to put up with that, but I'm glad you know the best ways to deal with it.

Maybe you should enlist some assistance from other Anons to do some secret filming when you're in the area.

By the way, do the RPF still set up that Christmas tree without any proper safety equipment? I remember one year an RPFer was badly injured setting it up, with multiple fractures from a 3 story fall.
 

Petey C

Silver Meritorious Patron
Thanks for posting. Disgusting police behaviour. Definitely take it to an attorney, specially if you have video'd evidence.

Don't forget this is the police force that was implicated in the Rodney King beatings -- and all the thousands of others unnoticed.
 

Smurf

Gold Meritorious SP
Take it to the ACLU.

It's ironic that the ACLU in California refuses to get involved in many matters involving Scientology. perhaps, because they know the cult is very litigious and that a lawsuit against them would be very expensive.

In Washington, DC, when an anon was arrested and set up on false charges (later dismissed by the judge) we sought to get the ACLU & the National Lawyer's Guild involved, and they, too, did not want to deal with the cult.

Interestingly enough, a ACLU lawyer did attend the trial & even tangled with Rick Moxon who was angry that the lawyer was even there to observe.. the lawyer informed Rick he didn't need his permission to attend the trial.

Many civil attorneys sway from litigation involving Scientology.
 

Smurf

Gold Meritorious SP
By the way, do the RPF still set up that Christmas tree without any proper safety equipment? I remember one year an RPFer was badly injured setting it up, with multiple fractures from a 3 story fall.

Yes, the PRF still erects Winter Wonderland and they were observed the last several weeks late at night & in the early morning hours constructing & setting up the venue. And they were dressed in black T-shirts & pants... some wore shorts in the cold air... and no safety equipment worn.

This lack of safety gear has been reported to the City & OSHA several times and they choose to do nothing. Welcome to Los Angeles.
 
G

Gottabrain

Guest
Yes, the PRF still erects Winter Wonderland and they were observed the last several weeks late at night & in the early morning hours constructing & setting up the venue. And they were dressed in black T-shirts & pants... some wore shorts in the cold air... and no safety equipment worn.

This lack of safety gear has been reported to the City & OSHA several times and they choose to do nothing. Welcome to Los Angeles.

I hate LA for all its corruption and savagery. :angry:

Thanks, Smurf.

How's this for an idea - What if I were to write up a testimony about the poor man that fell erecting that tree as an announcement and maybe you can get it posted nearby on a neighbor's wall where the general public can read it? :coolwink:

Make it eyecatching.
 

Ogsonofgroo

Crusader
Thank you for excellent reportage, ugly things, not so much LAPD is in cahoots with scilons, they just do not know how to people skills as has been evident for many years. I find it scary they live so close to us northerners~ :unsure:

Smurf, so sorry to hear about this abusiveness, seriously they take shitting on a parade to a new level, this kind of crap would not be tolerated up here even though we have our fair share of corruption in the popo.

Hang in there man, rem, the world is watching! KEEP THE CAMERAS HANDY GUYS!


:heartflower: & :cheers:
 

Arthur Dent

Silver Meritorious Patron
Yes, the PRF still erects Winter Wonderland and they were observed the last several weeks late at night & in the early morning hours constructing & setting up the venue. And they were dressed in black T-shirts & pants... some wore shorts in the cold air... and no safety equipment worn.

This lack of safety gear has been reported to the City & OSHA several times and they choose to do nothing. Welcome to Los Angeles.

It would be great to see protesters right near them and dressed exactly like them with signs saying "We are slave labor. We are captives and forced to do this work and cannot escape. We are kept under guard and we are not allowed to use phones to call for help. We are not allowed to use safety gear as required by law! Please help us!" :biggrin:

Wonder what reactions would be! :whistling:
 

Mystic

Crusader
Oh excellent reporting, Smurf. Really good to see the ol' dead cult has some stinch left in it...they have really become boring. Not even a little Tommy Davis (in sunglasses) around to scream at John Sweeny.
 

Type4_PTS

Diamond Invictus SP
Smurf, thanks for the report, sorry you had to experience that.

This suggestion (below) by Gottabrain is a great one. IMO it is necessary to expose the corruption of the LAPD in a big way, repeatedly - or else the corruption is likely to continue.

Also, this additional video could help you if you ever get involved in a similar future incident with the LAPD - which is likely if you show up at more events around the cult such as this one.




Maybe you should enlist some assistance from other Anons to do some secret filming when you're in the area.
 

Infinite

Troublesome Internet Fringe Dweller
Merry Christmas - Scientology stylze!

Nice one Smurf. Thanks you to you and the other protesters.
 

NoName

A Girl Has No Name
Wonder if Graham Berry has ideas besides the ACLU if they don't want to get involved in cult litigation? Maybe worth a PM to him...
 

Freeminds

Bitter defrocked apostate
It would be great to see protesters right near them and dressed exactly like them with signs saying "We are slave labor. We are captives and forced to do this work and cannot escape. We are kept under guard and we are not allowed to use phones to call for help. We are not allowed to use safety gear as required by law! Please help us!" :biggrin:

Wonder what reactions would be! :whistling:

Nice, but... can you shorten your slogans? I'm not strong enough to carry a 15 foot sign. Also, public reaction to a wall of text is likely to be disinterest.

It's generally the clams that produce baffling, unreadable or 'wog-inaccessible' signs, not the critics. Year after year, the culties never fail to fail in this regard.
 

Freeminds

Bitter defrocked apostate
An officer threatened to arrest me if I approached & filmed the cops roughing Doug up.

You should know the score with corrupt cops and creepy cultists by now.

Multiple cameras and mutual support.

A mobile phone set to 'record movie' and then held to your ear allows you to face 'away' from the crime... while you unobtrusively film everything. Just say "uh-huh?" from time to time, and you're the perfect innocent bystander.

A modern digital voice memo recorder is tiny, unobtrusive and cheap. Everyone should have one. Start a recording going BEFORE it gets creepy, and clip it to your belt, or under your lapel. You will have several hours of recording time, so just always have it running. Wouldn't a soundtrack of that police harassment be just the icing on the cake?

Scratch something distinctive on all your electronics and keep a photo of you and it at home, to ensure that your camera or recording device doesn't "disappear" during searches or detention by questionable cops.

Always assume good faith, and try to remain polite with the police. Also, say as little as humanly possible. You don't need to explain yourself or defend yourself. You're entitled to your day in court, where you'll do a better job of it, with a cool head and some professional legal help. So say NOTHING if at all possible, and let them gather the rope to hang themselves.

Even in Clearwater (and to a lesser extent, Hollywood) where so many police appear to have been compromised, there are some good guys. I hope you won't assume from this that I'm anti-police. They have a very difficult job to do. It's just a shame that they will always tend to go for the short-term gain of "keeping the peace" rather than the long-term gain of ending the abuses of Hubbardism.
 
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