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BBC News
a day ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Church of Scientology protest ban set for refusal
Calls from the Church of Scientology for an order to ban protests outside its British headquarters in West Sussex have been recommended for Sussex District Council's cabinet is due to make a decision on Monday about whether to put a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO ) in place on Saint Hill Road and West Hoathly Road in East Church made the request for the PSPO in July 2024, saying protests held outside its premises caused "harassment, disturbance and alarm" to those attending the were held in 2023 and 2024. Both involved ex-Scientologists and took place before the annual International Association of Scientology event. Alexander Barnes-Ross, a former member but now an outspoken critic of Scientology, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the 10-month process had been "lengthy and arduous on both protesters and the local council".He said: "I am grateful for the careful and meticulous detail with which they have examined over 500 pages of evidence and hours of video footage of our protests."Scientology's attempt to ban protesting through a PSPO is just another example of their steadfast commitment to stifling free speech and using legal threats to silence anybody who dares to speak out against them."Scientology became a recognised religion in the UK in Church also said the protests had a "detrimental effect" on the quality of life of people living nearby and posed a risk to public safety.A church spokesperson said: "The purpose of our application for a PSPO is to facilitate our members and guests being able to visit our place of worship without them or their children being impeded, abused, shouted or otherwise religiously discriminated against."The terms of the proposed PSPO allowed for the practice of the right to protest and suggested a location next to our Church premises but one that didn't block the entrance."We will continue to seek remedies to safeguard our parishioners from hate speech and abuse."
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Clearwater grassroots group presents counter-proposal to Church of Scientology buying downtown street
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways The Brief A grassroots group is presenting a counter-proposal to the Church of Scientology's offer to purchase a street in Downtown Clearwater. Council members decided to table the vote to sell a portion of South Garden Avenue to the Church of Scientology. The church plans to close the street off to the public and build an auditorium in addition to a park on the parcel. CLEARWATER, Fla. - A grassroots group is presenting a counter-proposal to the Church of Scientology's offer to purchase a street in Downtown Clearwater. The backstory In April, council members decided to table the vote to sell a portion of South Garden Avenue to the Church of Scientology. Brooks Gibbs, the founder of Reconnect Clearwater, presented a proposal on behalf of citizens after learning about the potential sale just one day prior. RELATED: Clearwater leaders delay vote on selling street to Church of Scientology "It doesn't seem like they want to invite us in. It definitely appears by their actions to push us out," he said. What they're saying Gibbs believes Downtown Clearwater is not the area it used to be. "The parade used to go down Cleveland Street, when Woolworths used to be here, people used to ride their bikes and enjoy it. It was a very vibrant town," he added. "They [The Church of Scientology] have over $1 billion worth of property holdings. They own 75% of the land here in Downtown Clearwater." Follow FOX 13 on YouTube Dig deeper The church plans to close the street off to the public and build an auditorium in addition to a park on the parcel. "The Church of Scientology has a plan to build a park in honor of their founder, L. Ron Hubbard, who most consider a cult leader," Gibbs said. Gibbs said through the "Save The Garden" movement, a park and green space to promote and preserve the city's history will be constructed. "We desire to build a park to our civic leaders that were heroes to us. To remember and memorialize them," he said. "This is the start to a mile-long one-hour, what we call memory lane, and we're using QR code technology as well as augmented reality to tell the story of old Clearwater." PREVIOUS: Clearwater City Council debates selling the Church of Scientology a city-owned street He said within just five weeks, the group has gained traction in donations. "The Church of Scientology is offering $1.375 million for the land. We are offering $1.5 million for the land. The Church of Scientology wants to cut off the street. We want to keep half of the street open so that we can use it," he said. The group said they would either maintain the parcel themselves or create a public-private partnership with the city. "It's really up to the City Council to decide who will they favor: the Church of Scientology or the citizens?" he said. What's next That will be put up to a vote at the next City Council meeting on Thursday, May 15. MORE: Clearwater discusses closing part of downtown street to sell to Church of Scientology In the meantime, the group will hold a rally this Saturday at 10 a.m. "It's a rally for all of our supporters to come down to Nash Keys on 520 Cleveland Street," he said. "There's going to be some singing, there's going to be some prayer and there's going to be a march, an actual march to walk all the way down here to Garden Avenue." The other side FOX 13 reached out to The Church of Scientology for a comment on this push back but did not receive a response. The Source The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
