Feb 10, 2008

ITS ON LIEK RED DAWN!

I'll be live-blogging reports from Boston about the Church of Scientology/Anonymous protests throughout the day, thanks to our own covert HIMEOBS agents who have decided to take part there. However I want to cover what is happening in the rest of the world too, so that is what I will do as well. All times are for the UK.

NOTICE: THIS THREAD IS INSANELY LONG, THEREFORE I HAVE STARTED A NEW ONE HERE. This entry has so many images it is massively slowing up my not very old laptop, which is not a good sign.

13:31

Reports coming in from Australian Discordians about the Anonymous protests already look promising.



According to news.com.au, over 150 people attended the Sydney protests, chanting among other things ""Church on the left, cult on the right", "Religion is free" and "We want Xenu"."

More on the Australian protests can be found at the Anonaustralia blog. Hopefully soon Pope Felix over at The Madcap Laughs will also get his own material up from the Melbourne protests, which apparently went down well.

I'm going to get lunch, then check what is happening in the rest of the world.

13:50

More pictures and video from the Australia protests:







14:02

Might be some protests happening up York way, according to the York Press. However, the BBC News website is being unusually sloppy and is not reporting on anything happening in London, and I am too lazy to get on the raid IRC channels (not to mention no-one will be there anyway). Daily papers probably wont report anything, and the protests are almost certainly ongoing, so I may have to wait until this evening to see any videos on Youtube etc

Might check out 4chan, 7chan and 711chan after lunch.

14:09

According to 4chan, there are over 50 and possibly up to 100 people attending the Edinburgh protest, and over 300 at the London one. BBC and Sky News are covering it on TV, but naturally, I don't have a television. Goddamnit. Still, it sounds like both protests are bringing the thunder.

14:23

Paris protests aren't looking too impressive, going by 4chan. Then again, its hardly like 4chan is known for its large French contingent. Maybe the French Canadians will do better. A picture from the protest.



14:34

Bad quality picture from the London protests, looks like they certainly have the numbers there however. Australian press is all over the protests as well, hopefully the UK will catch up. US protests should be starting in a couple of hours.



14:47

Video from the London protests. Might take a while to load. Go to http://www.qik.com/anonlondon if you want to see more as they come in.



15:20

More videos from London, this time on YouTube.






16:10

First images from Boston are coming in. Haven't checked the US news much yet, will do so once this is up



16:22

Several more pictures from Boston:



Protesters making their way to the venue.



Hah, excellent advertising for the Operation Clambake website.



Moving on to the CoS centre, I'm guessing...



Spelling out some Horrible Troofs



PADDLE FASTER, I HEAR THETAN TRUCKS!



Half-hearted protesting there, methinks...


16:37


Even more coverage from Boston.




Now that's a little more like it!



Directly outside the Church now



Low quality picture of the Scientologists videotaping those taking part in the protest. Good thing they're all masked up...



Scientology closed due to Thetans.

More as I get it.


17:03

More information on the London raids available from Glosslip.com (cheers for the link, D!). In particular, note the video for the NYC raid.


17:15


D-Day letter from Anonymous being circulated around the internet. As usual, click to expand:



17:21

Nick Cohen on Comment is Free makes reference to todays protests and Anonymous, in the context of freedom of speech and the UK's exceptionally unjust libel laws.

Publishers and every variety of American journalist from left winger to neo-con are demanding court judgments and new laws from US politicians to protect them from Eady and his kind. They have grasped that, far from promoting freedom, the net is allowing Saudi billionaires, Scientologists and soon, I imagine, Vladimir Putin's stooges and the agents of sovereign wealth funds to come to London and secure a banning order that could be enforced anywhere in the world.

Today's anti-Scientology protesters may seem obsessive. Although they promise to be non-violent, their planned raids could turn nasty. But they understand better than bowdlerising judges and appeasing archbishops that the freedom to speak, argue, examine and satirise is the best defence against all the cults that seek to indoctrinate and subjugate our fellow citizens.

More as I find it.

17:35

Pictures from the...um, less than extraordinary Dublin raid, from 4chan:



Obviously not the strongest showing ever...



Still, its enough to warrant at least two members of the Garda, I suppose.



Not to mention this Scientologist official who wanted to know what was going on. Clearly not up on current events.

More pictures of London and Boston on their way.


17:45


Two latest pictures from Boston



A lovely rainbow there



And yet another camera from within the building, taping the protesters.



Naturally, the car was playing The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up.

18:03

Some fantastic pictures of the London raid, all taken from 4chan. As always, click to enlarge (some of these are huge).



Horse police



The signs are well worth reading.



WHERE ARE YOUR ORGS NOW?



Outside the main CoS centre in London



The dude with the 'fro certainly adds a special something to this protest.



If nothing else, Anonymous are giving the cops in London some easy duty for the day



Can't think of a good caption for this



It might be obvious murder is a crime...but apparently not. At least, for some people. The other half of the London photos will be forthingcoming in a while.

19:13

The London Pictures Part Deux




Face facts: you will never be as cool as the guy on the right.



Anonymous in London has been exemplary. This is a surprise, for anyone who has ever visited any of the *chan sites.



I admit it, I laughed.



As much as I'm sure the forced abortion/CoS issue is very important and serious, my eyes keep being drawn to the Longcat banner, whether I want to or not.



Even the cops are enjoying the protest.



(insert wry comment here)



On Tottenham Road...I think.

Also hi to all the guys and gals from the Randi forums and Glosslip who are currently visiting! I feel so special.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

thanks for these postings. good work. we'll be sending something from clearwater soon

Cain said...

Will it be Hulk Hogan? No, don't tell actually, I love surprises.