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How it went down: EpicNoseGuy was approached by police, who asked him to take down his sign. He refused, citing Justice Latey among others. The police returned a short while later, confiscated the sign and issued the summons, under section 5 of the Public Order Act. See it all on video here.
The use of the Public Order Act seems here to be on rather dodgy ground. The Act says that it is an offence to "[display] any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting" which will cause "harassment, alarm or distress" to anyone. Are Scientologists such delicate flowers that they can't take use of one little word? After all, it's not like they haven't done worse to their critics down the years – just ask Bonnie Woods.
It should also be pointed out that the monthly anti-"Church" of Scientology protests take place at two different locations, starting at Queen Victoria Street in Blackfriars, in the jurisdiction of the City of London police, before moving on to the Goodge Street recruitment centre, under the Met's watchful eye. And while the Met has zero problems with use of the c-word, the CoL police (yes, the same ones whose senior officers have accepted presents, freebies and accolades from the Scientologists) do have a problem. So that's one law, interpreted completely differently by two police forces in the same city to apply to the same person holding the same sign on the same day. Huh?
We have a sneaking suspicion this will turn out to be a giant PR footbullet for both the City of London police, and the London branch of the "Church" of Scientology - the story is, at time of writing, the most popular item on Digg. One peacefully-protesting GCSE student, who drolly talks of paying for a lawyer out of his "pocket money", versus the clunking fist of the state in a case about freedom of expression - it doesn't exactly look good, does it? Liberty has already come out in the lad's defence, with Shami Chakrabarti telling the Guardian:
This barmy prosecution makes a mockery of Britain's free speech traditions. After criminalising the use of the word 'cult', perhaps the next step is to ban the words 'war' and 'tax' from peaceful demonstrations?
We shall see, Shami; let's hope not.
The next protest against the "Church" of Scientology is on Saturday June 14; dress code is pirates; meet 11am at Blackfriars, or 2pm at Goodge Street; don't forget your V mask! See londonlulz for more information.
This article does not necessarily represent the views of Londonist
Image of Queen Victoria Street protest courtesy of skenmy's Flickrstream under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
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It's clearly a typo - Scientology are a bunch of c**ts.
The cult bit is a given.
The City of London Police need to be de-programmed immediately.
Watchtower gospel of gobbledygook
Jehovah's Witnesses are a *scapegoating* cult,they exist and thrive on a supremacist tyrannical doctrine they they are superior and the one true religion.They have NO tolerance for dissent
Jehovah's Witnesses fanatics are JUST LIKE Scientologist fanatics they rant on about how they are being 'persecuted' for the outrage over their own religious rackets that rip off the innocents.
Example:Scientologist are most litigious and went ape s**t over their parody south park episode although south park slams everybody equally.
I think this shows that these groups are high control and VERY insecure.Just like with David Koresh and Jim Jones.
Wolves's in Sheep's clothing predators.
Matthew 7:15"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are intolerant bigoted fanatics.
Yes they DEMAND the ‘right’ to go knocking on doors to the point of intrusive illegal trespassing on private property but go nuts if anyone questions their bogus dogmas.
They are a religion of bigotry to the core.
The very inception of JWs was based on hate. They hate the world, they hate other religions, they hate everything about "this system of things"
http://www.exjws.net/sexabuse/index.htm