We’ve heard from three of our Hungarian readers who each brought to our attention a rather astounding story that appeared in an online scandal sheet known as “RiPost” about this past weekend’s Scientology “Ideal Org” opening in Budapest.
Each of them warned us that the publication is known for outrageous articles, and one of them told us she simply didn’t believe the story. Peter Bonyai, our usual correspondent in Hungary, told us that he had read the piece but was still trying to confirm it independently.
So, for now, we want to emphasize that even from our sources there on the ground, there is considerable skepticism about RiPost’s report. But the story is rapidly gaining attention there, and is being picked up on forums and other websites in Budapest, and so we decided to make you aware of it, even with the caution that it may turn out to be apocryphal.
The upshot of it is that following the Ideal Org opening ceremony, which offended numerous locals for the way it was conducted, an angry resident threw a bucket of human shit on Scientology leader David Miscavige.
One of our Hungarian readers gave us this full account of the RiPost story, as well as some of his own impressions of the event there. We are printing what he sent us in full…
I drove by the Budapest opening on Saturday — it took place after a massive rainstorm, but the OT powers must have been in full effect because it was starting to dry out by the time the opening event took place. I saw no more than 150 people from the street, and by the area cordoned off there could have been no more than 500 people there. So perhaps 300 Scientologists + 200 guests? Who knows.
Anyway, there was zero press coverage here in Budapest. None. Zip. Nada. Not a single column inch. To all intents and purposes this event happened in secret.
Fast forward to yesterday, and this story appeared on 444.hu, a news portal here. It’s one of two well-read (mainly by a younger crowd) news portals, the other being index.hu (where there is no mention of Scientology at all).
Translated into English the headline reads, “Is it true that the American Pope of Scientology had a bucket of shit poured over him in Budapest?”
The writer talks a little about the opening, that it happened in secret, that 169 Vaci Ut (the address) was a practical fortress from Friday on. The article goes on to say that it gets most the information from another article, in “RiPost”.
Translated, it says “The American Big Boss of Scientology had shit poured on him.” Fun stuff, eh!
In this article the author speaks to some locals who had expressed interest in what was going on at the address, and what the commotion was about. According to the article, the nicest response they got was “what business is it of yours?” It goes on to say that those who tried to take photos on their phones were treated roughly and were verbally abused. “The atmosphere was oppressive – they were intimidating people.” Other bits, “We learned that David Miscavige had flown into Budapest in a private aircraft.” They mention disconnection, the treatment of critics, that his parents had to run away from him.
According to the article, those living on Vaci Ut were starting to get annoyed by the constant hassle, especially after “several thousand Scientologists arrived around noon, and locals were unable to stand outside their houses in the front garden. Several people called the police to ask what this mess is all about and were given the official reason which was, to their surprise, that this is all to do with a demonstration for Religious Freedom. This is the official reason Scientologists gave for the closures.
“An annoyed local told RiPost that after hearing this he made his way to the Church’s new building. After all, if this is all about Religious Freedom than it should be ‘free’ for him too. But he was forcefully restrained by security who told him that the event has nothing to do with Religious Freedom.
“But the real scandal happened afterwards. Scientology had chosen a nearby hotel — the Park Inn Radisson on Vaci Ut — as the location of a reception and banquet held in honor of the American leader.
“On a neighboring table in the restaurant sat a well-to-do Roma (Gypsy) family who were having lunch. As is usual at times like this, the family were social and tried to make friends with the Scientologists.
“According to details collected by RiPost, hotel staff said that when the Roma family were told that the guest of honor was the head of the famous Church, they started to dance around him (Comment for context – this is very rare, but if this happens it is something very special. The Hungarian custom is to allow it, enjoy it and soak it in. Also a Roma family could be anything up to 50 people). After a few more glasses of wine, the Roma family began to nag him to bend a spoon, if he’s such a great magician.
“The situation was getting more and more unpleasant for the Hungarian Scientologists, who were finding it difficult to explain things to their leader, a man known to be very aggressive, especially when the Roma family asked the Church leader to make it rain, after all he gets on so well with ‘aliens’.
“The banquet hall then erupted with applause when it really did start to rain outside!
“As the situation was becoming more and more absurd, Hungarian Scientology bigwig Tamas Nagy and the Church’s Press Officer Attila Miklovicz decided to rescue the day by whisking Miscavige to safety, so they grabbed him by the arms and while apologizing profusely began to make their way back to the newly inaugurated HQ.
“It was on the way that an even bigger scandal happened.
“According to details collected by RiPost, a furious resident, either from the street or from a small white Barkas truck (note for context: brand like Ford, very common in Eastern Europe), threw several buckets of human shit over the Church leader and those accompanying him.
“Several people became immediately unwell from the stench as the Scientology leadership began to run to seek shelter in the newly opened building. The faithful following on their heels were slipping and sliding in the excrement. Scientologists then set about trying to remove all trace of the human excrement while staff inside tried to clean the Church leader’s suit in one the bathrooms; we got this information from chatter from Hungarian Scientologists. On Saturday night the stench was still in the area — our reporters couldn’t fail to notice it while there. Locals recounted the events with satisfied smiles on their faces. The Hungarian Scientology Leadership has refused to comment on the affair, for perhaps obvious reasons.
“It’s no exaggeration to say that the what happened was sensational, in a global sense.”
Another reader who brought the story to our attention compared RiPost to the Daily Mail, and said it was mostly focused on gossip about celebrities. She didn’t have much confidence in the story.
Peter Bonyai tells us he’s also skeptical, but he says that a local Scientology spokesman did acknowledge to a journalist that at the least some pig shit was thrown near Miscavige. He’s still checking into it and tells us he will have a full report tomorrow.
Also, we’ve asked Scientology spokeswoman Karin Pouw for her reaction to the RiPost article. We’ll let you know if she gets back to us.
UPDATE, July 28, 8 am: We just heard from Peter Bonyai, our correspondent in Budapest, who has finished with his investigation of the story published by the scandal sheet “RiPost” about David Miscavige being targeted by a protester with a bucket of shit after the Ideal Org opening there this weekend.
Peter talked to eyewitnesses and came to a couple of conclusions.
First, as to the scene with the Roma family in a restaurant after the ceremony: This incident did take place generally as described, Peter says, but Miscavige was not present. The Roma family did encounter several Scientology officials in a drunken scene, and the officials were put off by the attention.
Second, as for the shit-throwing scene, here’s what he found out:
A block away from the new building, someone threw four small barrels of liquid pig excrement from a white minivan onto the sidewalk when Miscavige and his entourage were approaching. It happened a block away from the new building. One of the private security guards was fully covered with shit, a few others got smaller doses, but Miscavige himself was not hit.
So we were right to caution that “RiPost” was a sketchy source, but we can say that Miscavige actually was targeted with buckets of shit, and narrowly escaped with his coif intact.
Thank you for clearing that up, Peter!
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Happy Birthday, Miss Lovely!
We have a feeling that Paulette Cooper, otherwise known as The Unbreakable Miss Lovely, will consider our lead story today to be the best birthday present she’s had in a while.
We asked her what she was doing as she turns 74 today, and she told us she’s on the Queen Mary 2, stopping today in Halifax on its way to London, where she will gather with many admirers.
How appropriate! If you’ve read our book on Paulette, you know that she often traveled by cruise ship because of her father’s involvement in the diamond trade, and that in 1970, she became the first woman stowaway in modern history. (We’re pretty sure she bought a ticket for this week’s adventure).
She also became the target of one of Scientology’s most elaborate retaliation schemes because of a 1969 magazine article and then her 1971 book, The Scandal of Scientology. A Holocaust survivor, Paulette weathered more than a decade of intense harassment from the church, even finding herself facing 15 years in prison at one point for a crime that Scientology operatives had framed her for.
What a resilient and remarkable woman she is, and she and her husband Paul Noble are the best guests you will ever have at a party, as Halifax and the Queen Mary 2 will no doubt discover.
To Miss Lovely we say, Mazel Tov!
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Posted by Tony Ortega on July 26, 2016 at 06:30
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Our book, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information about the book, and our 2015 book tour, can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
Learn about Scientology with our numerous series with experts…
BLOGGING DIANETICS: We read Scientology’s founding text cover to cover with the help of L.A. attorney and former church member Vance Woodward
UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists
GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice
SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts
Other links: Shelly Miscavige, ten years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | Scientology’s Private Dancer | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | Scientology boasts about assistance from Google | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
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Jason Beghe | Tom DeVocht | Sara Goldberg | Paul Haggis | Mark “Marty” Rathbun | Mike Rinder | Spanky Taylor | Hana Whitfield
