Protest of Scientology's Harmful Actions, December 2-3, 2000 in Clearwater Florida

We had about 40-50 picketers for the weekend and about 60 people at the candlelight vigil in honor of Lisa McPherson.  This year Scientology used 5 attorneys in order to get an injunction against Lisa McPherson Trust staff from picketing in certain areas.  This injunction then extended to anyone working "in concert" with LMT staff.  This was interpreted to be picketers besides the LMT staff, since the LMT staff were picketing as well.  Judge Thomas Penick drew up 10 maps of Scientology properties and relegated picketers to the picketing ghetto where construction tunnels, trees, and simply a lack of any traffic would have prevented anyone from seeing us.  Fortunately, after some haggling with the police, we were allowed to use the sidewalk between the construction tunnel on the Super Power building side of Ft. Harrison Avenue and the curb, so this is where we mostly picketed.

   Once again Scientology hid.  They unloaded their vans of people in the parking garage rather than the front entry way.  They had a film in the side windows of the vans that prevented anyone inside from seeing us.  They put 135 Christmas trees side by side along the Sandcastle sidewalk to hide from picketers.  They got an injunction that was hoped to keep all protesters 20 feet from any Scientology property, though it was less restrictive than that.

St. Petersburg Times coverage

our press release

picket primer

return to demonstration page

Lisa page