Pet lovers and Scientology critics converge on Clearwater

CLEARWATER — Clearwater's petite downtown district was primed for the perfect storm on Saturday.

On one end of downtown, 135 masked members of the group Anonymous began gathering at about 10 a.m. to protest the Church of Scientology.

Just a few blocks away, animal lovers brought their dogs for Clearwater's annual pet fair, which was unrelated to the church.

The dark-suited, boisterous protestors might have disrupted the owner-pet look-a-like contest and other festivities, but the two groups stayed apart. And Saturday's daylong protest — about half the size of the two preceding ones — ended with no arrests.

Anonymous, a loosely organized group that formed on the Internet, used the demonstration to target what it calls the church's "cruel and inhumane" policy. The group says that Scientology requires church members to disconnect from friends and relatives who have left the fold.

The group rented out the Royalty Theatre downtown and two former Scientologists — Mike Henderson and Creed Pearson — spoke about the pain they suffered from not being allowed to contact relatives still in the church.

"I can't speak to my brother or my four sisters," Henderson said in a tearful speech. "I have attempted to speak to my son and my daughter and my mother, to no avail."

After the presentation, Anonymous members, whom the church has likened to terrorists and Ku Klux Klansmen, retired to Coachman Park for pizza and cake.

The group made three circuits of downtown, shouting slogans and drawing honks from passing cars.

Scientologists sitting in front of Starbucks said they didn't care for the protesters.

"They're like the barking dog at the wheels of a fire engine going to a fire," said Bob Johnson, 56, a Scientologist visiting from California.

Church spokeswoman Pat Harney said Henderson and Pearson, not the church, are to blame for their broken family relationships.

"If they want to take responsibility for past wrongs and repair their relations with their families," she said, "the church would be more than happy to help."

The protest wrapped up just before 5 p.m. The group plans to return to Clearwater next month.

Comments on this article

by Deborah	Apr 15, 2008 1:32 PM
To Brian Murphy, This is no religion, how can you justify that. Open the books, lets the government verify you deserve that tax exemption.

by estelle	Apr 15, 2008 9:06 AM
this is one of the biggest cults in the world-not a religion-who are they kidding-no true religion asks only certain people to give up all their worldly possessions-they allow anything that makes "me feel good"-a tr

by MarkAybeean	Apr 15, 2008 9:05 AM
Maybe if scientology didn't have so many "PR fires" to chase around putting out, there wouldn't be these dogs chasing them barking the truth and correcting their lies. Scientology's "fire truck" rides on wheels of

by HappyPesach	Apr 15, 2008 9:05 AM
Am long-time Scientologist. Several in our close/extended family didn't love Scientology--thanks to hate-sites set up to cause family rifts. As long as the relative was not rude about it, didn't start fights, or gossi

by Anono	Apr 15, 2008 9:05 AM
To all negative commentators: We are Anon, We are Legion. We Do not forget, we DO NOT FORGET. Expect us.

by Anonymous	Apr 15, 2008 9:05 AM
Kids? Lol. I'm over 50, never smoked weed but I DO have a problem with Scientology's human rights abuse. And I have an excellent career with no need of a cult.

by MomAnon	Apr 14, 2008 8:45 PM
Nicole J. - open your eyes child and see what is out there. BTW, I'm 48, don't smoke weed, and haven't been fair gamed by your cult.

by Dave	Apr 14, 2008 7:02 PM
Oh man, what a bunch of hate mongering terrorists - passing out pizza and cake to homeless people and dancing to RICK ASTLEY! The song isn't THAT bad, sheesh... May 10th. Game Over. Knowledge is free - are you? Expect us.

by Rickster	Apr 14, 2008 5:22 PM
What other 'religion' is afraid of families communicating at home? The CoS need for control, and apparent success is evident in the comments left here.

by Nicole J.	Apr 14, 2008 5:10 PM
Most of the anonymous aren't anymore. The PI's have gotten just about every person's face and name. I would suggest that they just keep to smoking pot and being a waste on society then to protest something that they know nothing about.

by Sheri	Apr 14, 2008 4:06 PM
Anon is losing and will lose in the end. You can't take down what is right. L. Ron had only our best intentions in mind. I'll bet that less then 100 show up IF they even have a protest again. Right is right, and we are right.

by Daveshouse	Apr 14, 2008 1:36 PM
The Mike Henderson story was quite compelling. Videos are up on youtube. Wonder what Pat Harney thinks he did wrong?? Was it simply leaving the cos? Talking against cos? what steps can be taken to repair the family? Why does it take so long for posts

by Ol'Timer	Apr 14, 2008 1:34 PM
Somebody is making "artificial turf" out of this family stuff. First, a person has to purposefully make himself a total!, persistent! pain in the A**. Then, many face-to-face remedies are tried. ONLY THEN is that last resort even

by teke	Apr 14, 2008 1:32 PM
Shame on whatever journalist who wrote this, biased and cowardly. Take a look at Articles in other locations and learn.

by bgodley	Apr 14, 2008 1:22 PM
As a Scientologist, I am impressed with these terrific protesters. I want to help expose the disinformation that the rotten part of my organization has been spreading. GOOGLE FAIR GAME SCIENTOLOGY bgodley, with eyes wide open Thanks to Anony

by Anon612	Apr 14, 2008 12:48 PM
Anyone who can listen to Mike Henderson talk about his father dying of cancer without his family being able to visit because of CoS's disconnection policy and say that it's Mike's fault his family was destroyed by Scientology needs to

by Paul S.	Apr 14, 2008 12:48 PM
The saying is true that you fear what you don't know. That's unfortunate as Scientology could probably help a lot of these kids find meaning and purpose in their lives. It's obvious by the low numbers that some realize that we aren

by Janey	Apr 14, 2008 8:09 AM
Scientology is a mafia-like criminal organization and cult, hiding behind a phony facade of sweetness and light. It is an abusive and dangerous cult and needs to be stopped.

by Ray	Apr 14, 2008 8:09 AM
Scientologists are brainwashed into believing whatever the "church" tells them. My brother is an active $cientologist who disconnected from our family because we are critical of the cult. He was instructed to do so from the "church&quo

by John	Apr 14, 2008 8:09 AM
The church of scientology (not capitalized on purpose) are the ones that need to take responsibility. What have they done to manifest this action against them? The church needs to practice what it preaches.

by AnonMomAnon	Apr 14, 2008 8:09 AM
i find it highly ironic that pat harney is the spokesperson for the cult of $cientology when her own husband sits in the cult's own version of a gulag: their RPF. google rehabilitation project force to see how pat's husband is living.

by Quentin	Apr 14, 2008 8:09 AM
Corporate scientology should take responsibility for their past wrongs and repair their relations with former members whose families have been destroyed by this vicious organization which harms in the name of help.

by A_Candle	Apr 14, 2008 8:09 AM
It is those who have nothing to believe that set themselves up to grieve for want of the closeness they see couples share- for the tenderness they see there- which you cannot duplicate from the lonely vantage point of hate.

by Leif	Apr 14, 2008 8:09 AM
No interviews of Anonymous protesters I see...just more Harney blarney. What she means to say is,"Start giving your sweet cash to the Co$ again and we'll let you see your family again."

by Anita	Apr 14, 2008 8:08 AM
I'm sick and tired of Pat Harney's lying. Never heard of the disconnection policy? Well, there are endless examples of people that cannot talk to family members still "in" Scientology. Admit that your auditing is only just brainwa

by markusknowsall	Apr 14, 2008 8:08 AM
Anon protest numbers way down internationally too.

by Terryeo	Apr 14, 2008 8:08 AM
"They are like barking dogs, chasing the wheels of the fire engine" -- heh, I like that.

by FreeThinker	Apr 14, 2008 8:08 AM
""If they want to take responsibility for past wrongs and repair their relations with their families," she said, "the church would be more than happy to help." THey are right the church will help if Henderson if he rejoi

by Tiger	Apr 14, 2008 8:08 AM
The CO$ say they could repair the "family" but don't say how much it will cost! I don't see how they have helped one person in the long run. Compare them to what Jesus would do. They are cold-hearted for sure.

by tim	Apr 14, 2008 8:08 AM
who killed the last guy to stand up to this cult of greed?

by Dave	Apr 14, 2008 8:08 AM
The lengths people in Scientology will go to defend a loathsome policy is unbelievable. Ms Harney has herself experienced forced separation from members of her family. I would think that she of all people could express some understanding of what thes

by Anónimo	Apr 14, 2008 8:08 AM
Scientology critics also love their pets, and the CoS is very aware of that.

by John	Apr 14, 2008 8:08 AM
Typical response from the so-called "Church". They deny that their practices are at fault, and again they force the blame on the victims. Stand up and face facts, Scientology is not welcome in this world, or the next.

by AnonAnonAnon	Apr 14, 2008 8:08 AM
The pet fair was run by 2 scientologist. It's a recruitment drive for them. The size of the protest was about the same as the last 2, not half the size. Why would you expect arrests? A "past wrong" can be an unkind word about C0$ or L.

by zuzu	Apr 14, 2008 8:08 AM
There's a lot more to protest Scientology, Inc. about than their policy of disconnection. What about the lack of informed consent and written policies of harassing critics with ad hominem attacks? What about the lack of financial transparency?