Indie Scientologists after their protest: We want to hear from church members about abuses

Last week we were curious about how the protest of independent Scientologists had panned out at Scientology’s Los Angeles headquarters.

It was a small affair, but we gave organizer Victoria Palmer credit for having the gumption to march right down L. Ron Hubbard Way while calling out the church for its abuses.

We thought we’d check in with Victoria to see how she felt about the event.

“Thanks for checking back with me! We had a blast on Saturday,” she told us. “Our small team of bold independent Scientologists marched to a PAC base that had shut down in fear. What happened to using confront and communication?”

That certainly seemed to be the case as the base seemed deserted, and we assumed that the workers there had been instructed to keep indoors as the protest was going on.

We asked Victoria what her plans were going forward.

“I will continue to build the team and get our message across to our friends in the church, as we are their fellow Scientologists. More activities will be planned. For now, I would love to hear from anyone that has suffered at the hands of the Church of Scientology. The Church will have to make up for the damage done so I will be acting as an independent chaplain to hear grievances, whether financial, emotional, or otherwise. We can all agree that their abusive practices need to end and that starts by listening. Anyone can email me at Victoria@MarchForFreedomWA.com.”

We’re glad to get that word out.

We also wanted to thank SP Spanglish, the videographer who shot the protest, talked to Victoria, and sent us his footage. He’s also helped us keep an eye on Scientology’s developments in Mexico, where an Advanced Org is planned but, thanks to help from SP Spanglish, appears to us to be going nowhere fast. Check out his other videos at his TikTok channel.

 
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Technology Cocktail

“The PURPOSE of the CCHs is to bring the pc through incidents and into present time. It is the reverse of “mental” auditing in that it gets the pc’s attention exterior from the bank and on present time. By using Communication, Control and Havingness this is done. If you make present time a snarling hostility to the pc, he of course does not wan to come into present time and it takes just that much longer to make the CCHs work.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1962

 
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THE PROSECUTION OF DANNY MASTERSON

We first broke the news of the LAPD’s investigation of Scientology celebrity Danny Masterson on rape allegations in 2017, and we’ve been covering the story every step of the way since then. At this page we’ve collected our most important links as Danny faces a potential sentence of 45 years to life in prison. NOW WITH TRIAL INDEX.

 
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THE PODCAST: How many have you heard?

[1] Marc Headley [2] Claire Headley [3] Jeffrey Augustine [4] Bruce Hines [5] Sunny Pereira [6] Pete Griffiths [7] Geoff Levin [8] Patty Moher [9] Marc Headley [10] Jefferson Hawkins [11] Michelle ‘Emma’ Ryan [12] Paulette Cooper [13] Jesse Prince [14] Mark Bunker [15] Jon Atack [16] Mirriam Francis [17] Bruce Hines on MSH

— SPECIAL: The best TV show on Scientology you never got to see

[1] Phil Jones [2] Derek Bloch [3] Carol Nyburg [4] Katrina Reyes [5] Jamie DeWolf

— The first Danny Masterson trial and beyond

[18] Trial special with Chris Shelton [19] Trial week one [20] Marc Headley on the spy in the hallway [21] Trial week two [22] Trial week three [23] Trial week four [24] Leah Remini on LAPD Corruption [25] Mike Rinder 2022 Thanksgiving Special [26] Jane Doe 4 (Tricia Vessey), Part One [27] Jane Doe 4 (Tricia Vessey), Part Two [28] Claire Headley on the trial [29] Tory Christman [30] Bruce Hines on spying [31] Karen de la Carriere [32] Ron Miscavige on Shelly Miscavige [33] Karen de la Carriere on the L’s [34] Mark Bunker on Miscavige hiding [35] Mark Plummer [36] Mark Ebner [37] Karen Pressley [38] Steve Cannane [39] Fredrick Brennan [40] Clarissa Adams [41] Louise Shekter [42] John Sweeney [43] Tory Christman [44] Kate Bornstein [45] Christian Stolte [46] Mark Bunker [47] Jon Atack [48] Luke Y. Thompson [49] Mark Ebner [50] Bruce Hines [51] Spanky Taylor and Karen Pressley [51] Geoff and Robbie Levin [52] Sands Hall [53] Jonny Jacobsen [54] Sandy Holeman

 
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Source Code

“The Roman Catholic Church, somewhere along the line, through watching the dramatizations of people, picked up some little fragments of R6, and they make it look like it’s continued forward into present time. But the truth of the matter is that the loyal officers were not all killed. Xenu missed. And they were not all killed. Not by a long way…Somebody, somewhere on this planet, back about 600 BC, found some piece of R6. And I don t know how they found it, either by watching mad men or something, but since that time they have used it and it became what is known as Christianity. The man on the cross. There was no Christ, but the man on the cross is shown as every man so of course each person seeing a crucified man has an immediate feeling of sympathy for this man. Therefore you get many PCs who say they are Christ.” — L. Ron Hubbard, October 3, 1968

 
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Avast, Ye Mateys

“Cmdr. Hana Eltringham is welcomed aboard. She is assigned to Deputy CS-1 and to part time study her FEBC. An Aides hat should be provided but other aides should groove her in. She has been CS-1 and CS-4 before. The Flag Org is full throttle getting trained up to FEBC and handling existing traffic and should be concentrating soon on Org Bd Hats for orgs, its overdue assignment. We are very glad to see some Veterans back to Flag.” — The Commodore, October 3, 1970

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Overheard in the FreeZone

“‘Love and Freedom’ is the tool the 1.1s use to win (our own wrong-headed) support, as like, as our government that promotes and talks about freedom and service to all, while taking away freedoms and taking away our prosperity. Homosexuality and related acts are not freedom, theta, or logical in this universe, at least in the part that I live in — instead they are just another extension of the alien deep-state cabal push-and-pull and complete trap to hold us in the lower tones so we can be controlled and eliminated.”

 
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Past is Prologue

1996: It was reported this week that a Scientologist killed two children of a Canadian couple, also Scientologists. The murder was committed in Copenhagen, Denmark. Excerpts from news reports, including the Toronto Sun. “A woman drowned a pair of one-year-old Canadian twins while bathing them, then dressed the bodies, put them in a stroller and pushed them to a police station, police said Monday. A Russian-born nanny turned herself in to police and was taken into custody for a psychological examination and questioning. She was not identified. The one-year-old boy and girl were drowned on Saturday, police said. They said the children’s bodies were mutilated. The twins’ mother was identified as Deborrah Helen Hiver, of Canada, and the father as Paul Maurice Hiver of France. The couple had met the nanny at a Scientology church where they are all members, church officials said. While Debbie and Aime Hiver were at work at a cleaning company Saturday, police say, their 47-year-old nanny, Ludmila Vassilieva, appeared at a local police station with a stroller bearing the bodies of their daughter, Lauren, and son, Herve. Vassilieva, like the Hivers, is a member of the Church of Scientology, and in a public letter the parents laid the blame for their nanny’s behavior on psychiatric treatment, ‘which not only does not help but can influence a person to kill.'”

 
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Random Howdy

“I was just watching a documentary about ISIS, and they put out a monthly magazine and annual report (400 pages long) that is way more slick and professional than anything I’ve seen by the unchurch of Lientology. Even the crazy jihadis have their act more together than Scientology.”

 
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker

Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Found guilty on two counts on May 31, remanded to custody. Sentencing on Sep 7.
— ‘Lafayette Ronald Hubbard’ (a/k/a Justin Craig), aggravated assault, plus drug charges: Grand jury indictments include charges from an assault while in custody. Trial scheduled for August 15.
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, fraud.

Civil litigation:
— Leah Remini v. Scientology, alleging ‘Fair Game’ harassment and defamation: Complaint filed August 2, first hearing set for Dec 4.
— Baxter, Baxter, and Paris v. Scientology, alleging labor trafficking: Forced to arbitration. Plaintiffs allowed interlocutory appeal to Eleventh Circuit.
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Appellate court removes requirement of arbitration on January 19, case remanded back to Superior Court. Stay in place at least through sentencing of Masterson on Sep 7. Next hearing set for Sept 26.
— Jane Doe 1 v. Scientology, David Miscavige, and Gavin Potter: Case unsealed and second amended complaint filed. Next hearing Nov 6.
— Chiropractors Steve Peyroux and Brent Detelich, stem cell fraud: Ordered to mediation.

 
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SCIENTOLOGY: FAIR GAME

After the success of their double-Emmy-winning, three-season A&E series ‘Scientology and the Aftermath,’ Leah Remini and Mike Rinder continue the conversation on their podcast, ‘Scientology: Fair Game.’ We’ve created a landing page where you can hear all of the episodes so far.

LEAH REMINI: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE AFTERMATH

An episode-by-episode guide to Leah Remini’s three-season, double-Emmy winning series that changed everything for Scientology watching. Originally aired from 2016 to 2019 on the A&E network, and now on Netflix.

SCIENTOLOGY’S CELEBRITIES, from A to Z

Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!

 
Other links: SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks. Scientology’s Ideal Orgs, from one end of the planet to the other. Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society. Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in a weekly series. How many have you read?

 
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THE WHOLE TRACK

[ONE year ago] Scientology eagerly uses Hurricane Ian devastation for photo opportunities
[TWO years ago] Pasadena drunk kicks hole in Scientology door: Will this ‘hate crime’ be blamed on Leah Remini?
[THREE years ago] STUNNING LEAK: Scientology’s entire asset portfolio the year it got IRS church status
[FOUR years ago] Scientologist removed from L.A. court again after screaming at judge in fraud hearing
[FIVE years ago] Jesse Prince talks about the grieving after L. Ron Hubbard’s death — and the partying
[SIX years ago] Rerun Tuesday: ‘Leah Remini’ participants tell us what the series has meant to them
[SEVEN years ago] L. Ron Hubbard in exile: When Scientology’s leader ran things while on the lam
[EIGHT years ago] ‘Going Clear’ Q&A: Mike Rinder and Sara Goldberg take heat from Scientologists
[NINE years ago] What VICE magazine got wrong about Scientology in the UK
[TEN years ago] LIVE FROM TAMPA: The Garcia v. Scientology Federal Fraud Lawsuit Mini-Trial!
[ELEVEN years ago] Scientology’s Meltdown: A Story Told in Pictures

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on October 3, 2023 at 07:00

E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.

Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.

The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2022 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2022), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)

Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | 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 | Shelly Miscavige, 15 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 | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ

Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…

Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.

Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele

 

Tony Ortega at The Daily Beast

 

Tony Ortega at Rolling Stone