Update 11 OCT 18: There are references to a video that I shot that morning but at the moment it’s gone missing. I originally had it hosted on blip.tv but that website is no longer around. My original copy is probably in storage on a hard drive or CD-R. Do you really need me to dig that up? A search on YouTube for “Scientology New York protest global“ will surface plenty of content. Oh give me a break, it’s been TEN YEARS!

Many of them came only in suit and tie despite the freezing cold. I found it all very interesting. I was expecting Anonymous to act like nerds at a convention but they didn’t. The demonstration was carried out like almost any other protest I've been to. I say "almost" because without a leader to direct them their chanting would sometimes blend into each other. Anonymous' message, and I suppose a large point of the whole thing, was to clarify that they don't hate Scientologists. They were protesting, in their words now, the church’s deceitful practices. I'm trying not to be opinionated about this but it's difficult not to be when you've been presented with eye opening information.

It should be mentioned that Rev. John Carmichael, the President of the Church of Scientology in New York, made an appearance. You have to give him credit for that. You have to realize the protestors put him in a defensive position. They're out there, and they're telling everyone that he lies and he steals. That's an uphill battle! I say good for him. No, nothing at all was accomplished, but honking cars, loud protestors and zero degree weather aren't ideal conditions to have a debate.

Here are links to a Wikipedia page, Scientology's website, and a Scientology protest site. In this way I hope you'll be able to see it from all sides—neutral, pro and con.

You’ll find the rest of the photos I shot on Flickr.