Protesters from the anti-Scientology group Anonymous picketed and chanted outside the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre in Manhattan last night. While we don’t really know a lot about Anonymous members, they’re the people who often wear those Guy Fawkes masks to protests – though they weren’t all wearing them this time. The masks are meant as a symbol of the way Scientology silences its members.
Protesters said they were there to try to save Katie Holmes. Which sounds sorta like the crazy lady on the subway who tried to lay her hands on me and chanted about Jesus. But the members of Anonymous mean “save” Katie in the sense of rescuing her from a cult, not in the sense of converting her to something else.
Demonstrators from the anti-Scientology group Anonymous staged a protest during opening night of Katie Holmes’ Broadway debut on Thursday. About 20 picketers greeted theatergoes—including Holmes’ husband, Tom Cruise—outside the the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre in New York City, where Holmes is starring in All My Sons.
The group was wearing masks and shouted, “We are not boycotting Katie, we are not boycotting the play, we are protesting Scientology. It is evil. Scientology kills people. It follows you home at night. It is perverted.”
A spokesperson for Anonymous spoke to Us recently about the planned action. “We are going to be there not only in protest of The Church of Scientology,” a member of the group told Us, “we would love to see Katie Holmes get away from this evil cult before it’s to late.”
[From Us Weekly]
I wonder if they’ll do it again, and if this is meant to be an ongoing thing. Anonymous is certainly starting to have a much more visible presence. Now that they’re making their purpose known, it’ll be interesting to see what they have planned for the future. Doesn’t that sound delightfully ominous when you’re talking about Scientology?
Note by Celebitchy: Thank you, Anonymous, for all that you do. I’ve seen you at work in Berlin right in front of those “stress tests” that Scientology runs to try and get new converts. Keep at it – you’re making a huge difference.
Here’s Katie with co-star John Lithgow outside the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre last night, along with Anonymous demonstrators. Photographer: Joseph Marzullo . Images thanks to WENN.
While i’m all for investigating the church, i completely disagree on this.
Beware of those who want to “save” someone. In my opinion history teaches us that crusaders are dangerous, no matter on what side they stand.
And anonymous is starting to resemble the cult they fight, they can’t stand critics.
As soon as someone express a critic, they begin to accuse them to be a scientologist, an enemy.
Well, i’m not a scientologist.
I admit i am a Katie fan. As bad as you can think of her, i don’t think it’s right to picket the theatre were she was working in a Arthur Miller play, with actors and a director who has nothing to do with scientology.
Picket the church, making people aware of how much it will cost them to “subscribe” to the “church”.
But i guess that in doing so you won’t grab the headlines of gossip sites, so this isn’t enough for you. It’s too bad.
o hai – Anons read this too 🙂 thanks for the coverage. This blog always does a good job in seperating the sensationalism from what actually happened.
The masks are in the first place a practical matter: the scientology corporation assigns members from their secret service (Office of Special Affairs, look it up) and private investigators to follow protesters, photograph them, their cars, and do anything possible to track down their identity. People have been identified from face photos and sent legal intimidation letters, followed for days by PIs, harassed, and even sued. scientology uses a lot of dirty tricks to intimidate critics and silence them.
The NY Anons are incredibly brave, because there’s a no-mask law there so they risk a lot to stand out there and picket.
That a lot of Anons use the SAME mask comes from a meme about ‘epic fail guy’ (Guy Fawkes) and because most Anons think V For Vendetta was a cool film.
Hi Clam Nettuno, you must be new.
The ‘save Katie’ thing is just a dig at the Scienclownogists Christ-figure Tom Cruise.
Remember remember the 5th of November
Only ten minutes to call me a clam, congrats, you are quick. End of discussion, i guess.
lulz. If you call Anonymous a cult, you have no clue what a cult really is.
Most Anons don’t dislike Katie, and a lot of us are worried about her. I think she got ensnared in a cult because her childhood dreamboat came by. I think she’s in a situation that’s unhealthy, and I wish she would find the strength to get out of it. the stories on this page show why:
http://www.exscientologykids.com/voicesinunison.html
And the scientology corporation does employ people to be online and counter bad press of them – that we’re not seeing a lot more of them is only because there is so much bad press at the moment.
As last point: scientology considers the celeb members their greatest assets: Hubbard specifically said to try to convert celebs as they were a great recruiting aid. I don’t see anything wrong with using that ‘aid’ against them. Even if I did, the NY Anons clearly didn’t, and they were the ones to go out and put their asses on the line.
Go Anonymous!
Admirable!
Nettuno, you have a strong point. They will end up even worse than they scientologists they attack. So many bigots hide behind what would otherwise be a legitmate cry against something that could be potentially dangerous. I have always been against that anonymous tactics of bullying and intimidation.
Not that I don’t 100% support Anonymous’s activies but am I alone in feeling sorry for Katie here?
She just looks so beat down and spiritless and low. This is the first time in a while she’s been let off the leash to some degree and it’d be kind of nice to see her do well here, gain a bit of confidence and maybe even grow a pair. I know she’s in a mess of her own making but exactly how does she untangle herself here? Katie’s disposable – Tom’ll just buy another one – but Suri’s not and while Katie may want to be ‘saved’, I think even she knows getting Suri out of their clutches is a whole other story.
Anon, thanks for the link. I just read Melissa Miller’s Scientology Story and I am just shocked, these Scientologists are a bunch of disgusting perverted freaks. Lets see what these ignorant, idiotic celebrities will say when they read what really is like to be a really Scientologist rather the PG treatment they get because of their useful money and fame.
I despise any ‘religion’ cults but this just takes the cake. 😡
Life is just too short to waste your time obeying the request of others.
So good work Anonymous.
Keep up the good work Anonymous!!!
Scientology is a cult and now, thanks to the internet and groups like Anonymous, the world is beginning to wake up and see it for what it is.
Tom Cruise, you are an ignorant, foolish pawn in their game.
Is there any conection between Eyes Wide Shut and Tom Cruise’s involvement in Scientology? I know his marriage broke up shortly after filming and from what I remember of the film there are some similar themes.
I’m torn between my utter disdain for $cientology and my love for John Lithgow. I just don’t think I could picket the Pastor from Footloose.
Team Anonymous! (please don’t ever resort to violence though, mmkay?)
She’s like a little bird with a broken wing who is desperately trying to fly. (Guess who broke it…)
I LOVE LOVE you Anonymous. And that video you made (several but one of the first to hit the net) was BRILLIANT.
I do feel a little sympathy for Katie though. I know they Anony peeps have their hearts in the right place but she must be so fragile and just…worn down. So this might make her feel like it is directed at her when it’s not.
And hello, Nettuno. You do make a very good point. But I back Anonymous and feel they can prevent some bad shit from happening. Too many deaths shrouded in mysterious circumstances and curious coincidences
and why does NY have a no mask law? Hmn
Lola, you crack me up. *Anonymous*
bullies and intimidates? Anonymous generally shows up to hold signs, dance, sing songs and eat cake.
The scientologists have done the following, all numerous and documented:
extensive legal harassment with as a goal to run the critic out of money so they can be forced into silencing settlements; following, intimidating and harassing critics and their family (including children); running extensive smear campaigns on people; getting people fired from jobs and/or intimidating their clients until they go out of business; critics have been assaulted; cars of critics have been sabotaged causing accidents; critics have mysteriously ‘committed suicide’ with nary a question from local law enforement (one person wrote in a suicide note that he loved his wife… and wasn’t even married).
Scientology will go to ANY length to silence criticism, and they consider themselves outside of the law. Hubbard wrote it himself:
ENEMY: fair game. may be deprived of property or injured by any means by any scientologist without any discipline of the scientologist. may be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed.
But dancing, rickrolling and cake eating Anonymous is going to be worse than THAT??
(wtf is up why can’t I copy/paste? Had to type this entire post over from a text doc)
i agree Scott F: what about pooor John Lithgow? the dad from “Harry and the Hendersons” or Big bute from “Bakaroo Banzai” hell, he even played the bad guy in “Cliffhanger”….. i just think the protester’s should have included on their signs something like “save Katie, AND break a leg John!” or “scientology is an evil cult, john you were awsome in 3rd Rock!”
Nettuno, how do you know what a Clam is ? And as expected Clam Lola stepped up to defend you. Golly gee, predictable much?
There’s no need for discussion, your
underhanded references show your agenda quite well. Subtle as a sledgehammer. Someone wanna explain to me how people in masks to conceal their identity from Scientology litigious thugs in white shirts (who incidentally follow people home and pass out flyers labeling their critics as child molesters and criminals to their neighbors, harass their bosses at work, and commit other acts of harassment) are scary? what are you hiding, Clams? And why does it cost 140,000 dollars to find out ?
Xenu blesses.
Geronimo: I feel for Katie, too. While I agree that Scientology is dangerous, this particular event was a big deal for, and having detractors protesting out front undoubtedly added to her stress.
Katie had a chance to bail out of this creepy mess on her first date with Tom on his private jet.
Can you imagine – she’s having a romantic dinner with the man she dreamed of marrying, and in walks these cult, er, pardon $cientologists shoving pamplets and R.L. Hubbard guidelines on how to be a behaved Scientologist in 10-days.
Tom has been searching for a perfect specimen (wife) to join his, er, worshipers? since Nicole wasn’t having any of it. Smart girl. Katie was a naive VIRGIN (bingo!! what a find), who’s only dream was to marry the man who’s poster was pinned up above her bed.
As arrogrant, pompous Tom said to Oprah when she asked him if he was going to marry Katie “I don’t want to disappoint her”, then smiled with his rat-like face of his (shivers!).
Man, if my future husband assigned a cult member, pardon, bodyguard to carry my cell phone and screen my calls, warning bells would have been sounding off in my head. NOBODY is that naive.
She married $$$$$ and got a little more than she dreamed of.:evil: