Phil and Willie Jones won’t rest. Despite the success of their Echo Park billboard that got a ton of media attention, the Las Vegas couple was back in Los Angeles yesterday with another mission to raise awareness about Scientology’s toxic policy of ‘disconnection.’ When Phil told us what they had planned, we asked him to send us a report about their latest adventure. Here’s what he sent us.
On Monday we did our first drive around in Los Angeles with magnetic signs on the car. We had Fred Haseney as photographer and Brett Chance doing video. These signs are a duplicate of the Call Me billboard.
We started off at Big Blue, and having dropped Fred and Brett off on Fountain Ave we circled up to Sunset to come down L. Ron Hubbard way from the north. By the time we got to the outdoor cafe Fred and Brett were situated to take photos and video.
We cruised slowly down the street and when we were in front of the cafe we stopped so that the people there could read our sign. There were maybe 15 to 20 people at most sitting having lunch. Many read the sign. Some purposely didn’t look. Security was hovering on all sides. There were three or four security people we saw, but there could have been more.
We also had some color brochures which again duplicated the Call Me sign. Fred handed some of those out to a bunch of the patrons.
AOLA across the road was shut down and the door locked. No one was allowed in or out for a while.
After a while we decided to circle the block. Once we got around to the other side of Big Blue, on Catalina we saw there were around 30 or 40 Sea Org standing out there on their lunch break and many having a cigarette. We did our slow cruise by while having a video camera hanging out the window. Many read the sign but lots avoided looking.
When we circled the block again back to Catalina it was deserted. There were just a few stragglers left on the street and they were hustling inside. Scientology “confront” seems to be a bit lacking.
There were a few times that people would approach the car from the cafe on L. Ron Hubbard Way, not realizing what we were doing there. The security guard would firmly tell them “you don’t have to talk to those people.” We just told them we’re looking for our kids.
Once we were done with Big Blue we headed over to Celebrity Center. Again we dropped off Fred and Brett before heading down the street. We started off on Tamarind, which is on the west side of CC and where the curved driveway is to the front door. There were only a few security people there and they weren’t interacting at all. I drove down the street and around the back of CC where there was a woman walking towards us. I said hello and asked her if she would pass on a message to our son Mike to have him call his mother for Mother’s Day. She walked right up to the car and with a big smile she agreed to do so. “Definitely I will,” she said. I thought it doubtful but pleased that she would at least talk to us. She also took one of our Call Me brochures. I’m sure security snagged it right away after that.
Somewhere along the line one of our magnetic signs went missing. We did have several times where people approached the car and it would have been easy for someone (likely at Big Blue) to come up and peel the sign off the other side of the car. I checked how secure these signs were and there’s no way they’d just blow off, especially since we were never driving more that 25 mph or so with them on. Needless to say I was not happy. I want to get a whole lot of people driving around with magnetic signs on their cars all the time. If we can use some of our fundraising for buying signs I will find people who will put them on their cars. I want this thing to be so big that people start saying, “I see your signs EVERYWHERE!”
— Phil Jones
Fred Haseney will have more photos from the day at his blog. Brett Chance put together this video with highlights of the adventure…
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Bryan Seymour talks to Ron Miscavige
Bryan Seymour was in New York last week, and we had a chance to sit down with him for an interview as he also met with Ron Miscavige. And we’re very glad to see the Bartons included. We met them in Perth on our book tour last year, and it’s heartbreaking that they’re still waiting to see their children. Great work by Bryan Seymour…
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Bonus items from our tipsters
Another Russian-speaker in Florida to run around the pole in the name of L. Ron Hubbard.
Denver finds another young lad to start his Student Hat!
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Posted by Tony Ortega on May 10, 2016 at 07:00
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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
Our Guide to Alex Gibney’s film ‘Going Clear,’ and our pages about its principal figures…
Jason Beghe | Tom DeVocht | Sara Goldberg | Paul Haggis | Mark “Marty” Rathbun | Mike Rinder | Spanky Taylor | Hana Whitfield
