‘Fair game‘ isn’t fair, or a game, and it isn’t either legal or moral. Wikipedia describes it as “various aggressive policies and practices carried out by the Church of Scientology towards people and groups it perceives as its enemies.” So if you plan to protest against them, it is probably a good idea to hide your identity.
Last month, part of a Scientology video featuring Tom Cruise was posted onto YouTube, and the Church of Scientology (C0oS) successfully demanded its removal, although it and other material about them has since been reposted. The unauthorised biography of Cruise by Andrew Morton has also stirred up controversy, with its allegations – repeated on YouTube – that Cruise is ‘Number 2’ in the organisation. There are also YouTube videos which allege that the CoS had pressurised some Australian booksellers not to stock the book. CoS is also alleged to have forced YouTube to remove some other material that describes its doctrines and practices.
The Internet movement ‘Anonymous‘ emerged to oppose these CoS activities in mid January, aiming to remain anonymous to avoid retailiation under the ‘fair game’ policy. In a couple of weeks it managed to set up an international day of action with demonstrations in 50 cities in 14 countries against the CoS, including two in London.
Demonstrators work masks, many choosing the mask used in the film ‘V for Vendetta’, with some also togged up in the matching wig, hat and the rest. The ‘Anonymous’ YouTube videos also had some resemblance to the Warner Bros product, and I’m sure that at one point I heard “People should not be afraid of their governments; governments should be afraid of their people.”
Pictures from both London demos