My First Protest and the Ask an Ex Campaign

People don't know much about Scientology's PAC (Pacific Area Command) Base on L. Ron Hubbard Way. For starters I'll give you a list of the buildings and what function they serve:

• First is the large building with the huge "Scientology" sign on top. This is a two-winged building that serves as "Sea Org Berthing". This is where all Scientologists live. It has an attached cafeteria where Sea Org members are permitted to occasionally consume their prison-quality food.

• Behind that building is a connecting sky bridge that is over the cafeteria and takes them into the organization known as ASHO (American Saint Hill Organization). This organization's primary task is to deliver the upper levels of Scientology training.
• Next on the left side of the street (if you are standing on L. Ron Hubbard Way & Fountain looking towards Sunset), is the Los Angeles Organization. This is a lower level organization meant to recruit new people into the cult.
• On the right side of the street there is AOLA (Advanced Organization of Los Angeles). This is where I worked and it's primary function is to deliver the upper levels of Scientology indoctrination. People find out about the Xenu story and body thetans here. It delivers the most expensive services available on the west side of the United States.
• Next to that, and pushed far to the back--away from the street--is the CLO (Continental Liaison Office) of the Western United States. It contains several organizations inside. Among them are: 
• Continental Landlord's Office, where the "rent" that all the Ideal Organizations pay is funneled up to the International Landlord's Office and into David Miscavige's pocket.
• ABLE (The Association for Better Living and Education), which houses management for the several "Social Betterment Groups" that Scientology claims to have. This is also where the various organizations pay royalties to, which are funnelled into David Miscavige's pocket.
• Most famously Narconon
• Criminon
• Applied Schoolastics
• The Way to Happiness Foundation
• World Institute of Scientology Enterprises
• Scientology Missions International for the Western United States
• Commodore's Messenger Organization (CMO) for the Western United States, which is tasked with making sure that all organizations are performing as David Miscavige commands.
• The remote Religious Technology Center office (RTC), which is tasked with reviewing training and auditing confessionals and making sure that they are performed to the arbitrary standard set by David Miscavige.
• The Estates Office which ensures that the PAC Base remains clean as well as oversees renovations of Ideal Orgs. They usually use the RPF and EPF for these purposes. EPF does the cleaning and RPF does the cleaning and renovations.
• Finally, adjacent to the AOLA building is the building for Bridge Publications which prints and publishes all of L. Ron Hubbard's books, with David Miscavige's changes.

On August 12th I stood outside of these buildings and held up a sign in protest of Scientology. I was facing my demons in a big way. It took a lot of nerve for me to return to my old stomping grounds.

A few people were there with me, including a friend who had no involvement in the church at all--and knew very little about it. He offered to go so that I wouldn't feel alone.

A couple of Anons stood with me. I talked about my history in the church. A group of kids came by and I got to share with them everything I knew and what happened to me while I was working for the Sea Org. A lot of people were honking and giving us thumbs up!

Another man stopped by, must have been my age, and asked how people our age got sucked in? I told him that a lot of them were second generation and they were raised in it.

Overall they were sympathetic towards my experience. Most of the people that were asking questions wanted to speak to an Ex. I was the only Ex there so they immediately looked to me for answers. I loved sharing them. I had no idea that so many random people were interested in Scientology.

At the end of it all, a security guard followed my friend and me to his car and took a picture of the license plate. Bastard! Other than that, it was a blast!

I thought it would be fun to start a campaign called 'Ask an Ex' where we walk around with business cards that have contact info, websites, etc. Shirts that say, "Ask me about Scientology!" Or, "Scientology wants you to know yourself. We want you to know Scientology! Ask an Ex."

If anyone is interested, please let me know!