[Archive 2008-05-31] UK group Liberty, Edinburgh city council on Scientology 'cult' signs

Historical archive — originally published 2008-05-31. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

The United Kingdom-based human rights group Liberty and the City of Edinburgh Council in Scotland have weighed in on the right of critics to call Scientology a "cult" at peaceful protests. After a 15-year-old boy refused to remove a sign calling Scientology a "cult" at a May 10 protest in London, City of London Police confiscated his sign and issued him a court summons. On May 23 the Crown Prosecution Service stated that there would be no prosecution of the boy. Liberty is investigating the actions of the City of London Police, and told The Guardian Wednesday that they may decide to lodge a complaint with the Independent Police Complaints Commission. The City Council of Edinburgh released a statement earlier this week saying they had no objections to the word "cult" being used on signs at anti-Scientology protests.

Individuals from the group Anonymous have held monthly international protests against the Church of Scientology since February, as part of the anti-Scientology movement Project Chanology. The Project Chanology movement began when the Church of Scientology attempted to get a leaked Scientology promotional video featuring Tom Cruise removed from websites YouTube and Gawker.com.

Members of Anonymous were motivated by the actions of the Church of Scientology, and bombarded Scientology websites and were successful in taking some of them down. Anonymous later changed tactics towards legal measures, and held international protests against Scientology on February 10, March 15, April 12, and most recently May 10. Localized protests have also been held in various cities in between the international protests.

The May 10 London protest took place near St Paul's Cathedral at the Church of Scientology's headquarters on Queen Victoria Street. The 15-year-old boy's poster read: "Scientology is not a religion, it is a dangerous cult". City of London Police approached the boy at the May 10 protest and cited section five of the Public Order Act 1986, which deals with "harassment, alarm or distress". In response, the boy cited a 1984 judgment given by Mr. Justice Latey in the Family Division of the High Court of Justice of Her Majesty's Courts of Justice of England and Wales, in which Latey called Scientology a "cult" and said it was "corrupt, sinister and dangerous".

Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, voiced concerns about the actions of the City of London Police, as did James Welch, legal director of Liberty. Liberty represented the 15-year-old boy to the City of London Police. Chakrabarti told The Guardian Wednesday that Liberty is looking into the matter and may file a complaint with the Independent Police Complaints Commission if it is determined that the City of London Police has a policy on appropriate wording on protest signs which relate specifically to anti-Scientology protests. Freedom of speech campaigners may also call for a judicial review of the legality of the protest guidelines of the City of London Police.

Protesters in Scotland that routinely gather to protest against the Church of Scientology outside the Scientology centre in South Bridge, Edinburgh contacted the City of Edinburgh Council in order to get the Council's input on using the word "cult" on signs at anti-Scientology protests.

The City of London Police has faced controversy in the past for its close association with the Church of Scientology. When the City of London Scientology building opened in 2006, City of London Chief Superintendent Kevin Hurley praised Scientology in an appearance as guest speaker at the building's opening ceremony. Ken Stewart, another of the City of London's chief superintendents, has also appeared in a video praising Scientology. According to The Guardian over 20 officers for the City of London Police have accepted gifts from the Church of Scientology including tickets to film premieres, lunches and concerts at police premises.

Unlike the City of London Police, the Metropolitan Police Service (the territorial police force responsible for Greater London excluding the City of London) has not raised an issue with protesters using placards with similar wording at protests against Scientology, according to The Guardian and Londonist.

Film and television actor Jason Beghe visited a protest organized by members of Project Chanology on Thursday in New York, New York. Beghe joined Scientology in 1994, and gave US$1 million to the Church of Scientology over the course of his membership with the organization. He told Roger Friedman of FOX News that Scientology head David Miscavige called him "the poster boy for Scientology". Beghe appeared in promotional videos for Scientology in 2005. In April 2008 he left Scientology, and contacted Scientology critic Andreas Heldal-Lund, who put him in touch with another critic Mark Bunker. Bunker arranged an interview with Beghe, which was uploaded to Bunker's YouTube account on April 7. The posted video is a 3-minute portion of a larger 3-hour interview with Beghe about his criticism of Scientology. In the video Beghe states: "Scientology is destructive and a rip-off. ... It’s very, very dangerous for your spiritual, psychological, mental, emotional health and evolution."

Beghe participated in the May 10 international protests against the Church of Scientology, attending the protest in Los Angeles. He met with fellow Scientology critic and former Scientologist Lawrence Wollersheim and spoke with members of Project Chanology.

Source and licence

Text adapted from UK group Liberty, Edinburgh city council on Scientology 'cult' signs by Wikinews contributors under CC BY 2.5. Paragraphs have been selected and abridged, and formatting adjusted. Contributor history.