Scientologists crash protesters' line
CHERYL WALDRIP of The Tampa Tribune
Published in The Tampa Tribune March 9, 1997
CLEARWATER - About 30 demonstrators protested the Church of Scientology on
Saturday, drawing about 300 Scientologists who protested the picketers.
There were no reports of violence, but the accusations and verbal exchanges
were intense. Scientologists accused their critics of being child molesters,
``druggies,'' pornography dealers and criminals.
The church critics accused Scientology of responsibility in the 1995 death
of Scientologist Lisa McPherson.
For every protester toting a sign critical of Scientology, at least a
half-dozen Scientologists crowded around with signs of their own, at times
bottlenecking the sidewalks in front of the church's world spiritual
headquarters, the former Fort Harrison Hotel.
In some cases, Scientologists tried to block the signs of the protesters
with their signs.
``Do you mind moving your sign out of my face?'' demanded a church critic to
a Scientologist who had blocked his way. ``Move your face,'' she responded.
A church critic yelled out ``Scientology can't stand free speech!'' A
Scientologist responded: ``It's our free speech, too, buddy!''
Church critics carried signs that read: ``Lisa McPherson's Blood On
Scientologists' Hands,'' ``Welcome To The Ft. Homicide Hotel,'' ``Jonestown Was
A `Church' Too,'' ``How Many More Will Die, Scions?,'' ``Clear Today, Gone
Tomorrow'' and ``Scientology Killed Lisa.''
One critic waved to passing traffic wearing an ``alien'' mask and bright
blue suit with the label ``Xenu'' across the chest. Church critics say Xenu is,
in Scientology lore, an extraterrestrial ruler who massacred millions of his
people 75 million years ago. Scientologists carried signs that read: ``Bigots
Go Home,'' ``Clearwater Police - Go After The Druggies,'' ``Druggies Stay Out
Of Clearwater,'' ``Stop Crime Not Religion,'' ``Jeff Jacobsen, Porno King'' and
``No More Hate Crimes.'' Jacobsen is an Arizona activist who organized the
protest.
McPherson's family in Dallas issued a statement supporting Jacobsen's group.
``We wish to take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks for your
worldwide support and kindness which we have received as we continue to cope
with the tragic and preventable death of Lisa.''
Her family has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the church. Police are
investigating McPherson's death.
During the protest, the church held an ``Anti-Drug Awareness Day'' in the
vacant lot across the street from the Fort Harrison. Children played on jungle
gyms and made puppets and anti-drug posters while a band performed such tunes
as ``Somewhere Over the Rainbow.''
Scientologists at the event were critical of the protesters.
``These people are a bunch of slime that crawled out from under a rock and
are exploiting Lisa's name to forward an agenda of bigotry,'' said
Brenda Hubert
, a Scientologist who said she was a friend of McPherson's for 16 years. She
praised the church as caring.
``To remotely think anyone would have done anything to harm her is an
outrageous lie,'' Hubert said.
Scientologist Greg Barnes, who said he was a friend of McPherson's for 18
years, said her death at 36 has been blown ``out of proportion.''
``How many people die every day and have an autopsy?'' he asked. ``And then
to have this carried on like it's something weird.''
An autopsy determined that McPherson, who spent the last 17 days of her life
at the Fort Harrison, died of a blood clot brought on by ``severe dehydration
and bed rest.''
Her thin body was bruised. Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner Joan Wood
determined that bites on her hands were probably from cockroaches and that she
was comatose for the last 24 to 48 hours of her life. Wood said McPherson went
without fluids for at least five to 10 days and possibly for her entire stay at
the hotel.
Church officials have called Wood a liar and say McPherson was well cared
for. They say she suddenly fell ill on Dec. 5, 1995, and died later that
evening.
``I think she got sick and she died,'' said Bennetta Slaughter, a
Scientologist who said she was McPherson's friend and supervisor at AMC
Publishing. ``There's nothing else there. She would be appalled by this. She
would not want to have her name used to trash her church.''
Jacobsen said that, since McPherson is dead, it's impossible to know what
she would think.
``If she had survived her ordeal, I think I know which side she would be on,
and I don't think it's the church's side,'' Jacobsen said.
As for the accusations about the character of the protesters, Jacobsen said
Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard taught his followers to discredit critics.
``The idea is to smear the reputation of the person bringing the bad news
about Scientology,'' Jacobsen said.
At nightfall, the protesters held a candlelight vigil in McPherson's name.