And a dangerous one at that…
For expressing this opinion (which some country’s courts (including Britain’s) have confirmed is a valid statement), a 15 year old boy was threatened with court action by the City of London’s police force (not to be confused with the larger Metropolitan Police Service). Because he refused to remove the word ‘cult’ from his poster at a demonstration, the police decided he had broken the law, specifically Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 (harassment, alarm or distress”). They took his placard, gave him a summons, and thought that would be the end of it.
It would appear that he had done his research beforehand, as he quoted a Judge’s ruling that the CoS was a corrupt, sinister and dangerous cult, and therefore his “Scientology is not a religion, it is a dangerous cult” poster broke no laws. The CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) advised the City Of London Police Force that they were wrong, and should approach these demonstrations in a different manner in the future. This may have disgruntled those officers who are known members of the Church of Scientology, but at least there is now one less avenue for them to try and curtail legal demonstations. Check out the WikiNews article for more information…
May 29th, 2008 9:41 pm
It makes my blood boil when I read things like this. There are too many instances throughout the world – and Britain is far from exempt – where police forces overstep their powers. I suffered at the hands of London Special Branch many years ago on several occasions while working as a freelance photographer. Once, amid a demonstration, I photographed two plain clothes “officers” beating up an injured demonstrator in the back of an ambulance. I was relieved of my camera by a third bent copper, and the film was detroyed.
At least the scale of these instances seems relatively rare here – unlike so many other parts of the world
June 3rd, 2008 9:27 pm
Beating up someone in the back of an ambulance is just wrong on so many levels. What kind of paramedics stand by and allow it to occur?
June 4th, 2008 2:54 pm
As an addendum to my previous comment – Private Eye (issue No 1211)also comments on the CoS being a cult. They added;-
“In 2006 City of London police had to order an internal review of hospitality received, after it emerged that its officers had accepted thousands of pounds worth of dinners and freebies from the cult, sorry the Church od Scientology (CoS), including an invitation to a celeb event attended by Tom Cruise. Chief Superintenent Kevin Hurley descibed the CoS as “a force for good” when opening its new city HQ.
However, the city cops aren’t the only ones sucked in by Scientology. Earlier this year several forces were found dishing out anti-drugs leaflets produced by the CoS. As well as advising young people to stay off illegal drugs, the text praised founderL.Ron Hubbard and pushed the organisations bizarre beliefsabout prescription anti-depressants”