'speed Running' Scientology: Tiktok Trend Causes Havoc, Church Alleges 'hate Crimes'

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is known for its colorful formed of characters. But moreover by those standards, nan scenes of Jesus Christ and Sonic nan Hedgehog racing past information guards employed by nan Church of Scientology successful caller days were a small bizarre.

On Saturday afternoon, personification dressed arsenic nan Christian messiah was among nan dozens of group successful costumes and masks seen connected a video forcing unfastened nan doorway of a Scientology building connected Hollywood Boulevard aft a tug-of-war pinch a information guard. The footage posted connected TikTok and Instagram shows nan group sprinting up and down stairs and clashing pinch black-shirted information guards, giggling and gasping to drawback their activity while religion members shriek astatine them to leave.

On their measurement retired — arsenic information guards attack equipped pinch occurrence extinguishers — 1 of nan sprinters stops and dances to observe their successful escape, a move reminiscent of a taunt from nan video crippled Fortnite.

For weeks, groups of group person barged into 2 of nan church’s Hollywood properties, racing done hallways and tussling pinch information guards, trying to spot really acold they tin get earlier they are forced to time off by religion staff. They telephone it “speed running,” slang for trying to hit a video crippled arsenic quickly arsenic possible, scurrying astir hazards and taking shortcuts to skip done levels.

Those posting and commenting connected nan contented online dainty nan events for illustration real-life gaming, musing astir facing disconnected pinch celebrated Scientology figures successful a “boss fight” and referring to each caller area of a Scientology spot seen connected a tally arsenic a measurement toward unlocking parts of a level map.

Church officials opportunity nan incidents are not a crippled and person accused nan velocity runners of “hate crimes.”

After dozens connected Saturday stormed nan Ivar Avenue building that houses an grounds dedicated to nan church’s founder, subject fabrication writer L. Ron Hubbard, nan outer doorway handles were removed from each 3 of Scientology’s properties connected Hollywood Boulevard by Sunday morning. Guards could beryllium seen blocking nan doorway to 1 building connected Monday afternoon.

The Church of Scientology of Los Angeles astatine 4810 Sunset Blvd. connected Feb. 7, 2024.

(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)

“These incidents are not ‘speed running.’ They are organized trespasses into belief and nationalist accusation accommodation for societal media attention,” Scientology spokesperson David Bloomberg said successful a statement. “Over caller weeks, individuals person many times forced their measurement into Church properties connected Hollywood Boulevard, disrupted belief and nationalist facilities, damaged Church property, and endangered staff, parishioners and visitors.”

Bloomberg said respective unit members were “knocked down successful nan chaos” connected Saturday. He declined to connection specifics astir updates to nan church’s information measures.

An LAPD spokesperson said constabulary person received 5 reports of trespassing incidents astatine Scientology’s Hollywood properties this year. All occurred astatine either nan Hubbard grounds aliases nan church’s accusation halfway astatine Hollywood Boulevard and McCadden Place, constabulary said. Only 2 of those incidents resembled a “so-called velocity moving attempt,” according to nan LAPD spokesman.

No arrests person been made and nary injuries person been reported. After nan large-scale incident connected Saturday, nan LAPD’s Major Crimes Division was tasked pinch investigating nan “incident arsenic an alleged dislike crime.” Detectives “have not identified immoderate connection” betwixt nan incident past play and anterior trespassing episodes, according to nan spokesman.

“The LAPD remains committed to ensuring nan information of each houses of believe successful Los Angeles,” nan section said successful a statement.

A personification progressive successful nan astir caller “speed run,” who said to The Times connected nan information of anonymity for fearfulness of reprisal from some nan Church and LAPD, said nan events were “a operation of exposure, prank and activism.”

“For maine personally, it’s astir raising awareness, getting group to inquire questions, and of course, emotion of nan crippled lol,” nan personification said successful a message. “I bask questioning authority and sparkling ray connected things group usually don’t look into.”

The Church of Scientology of Los Angeles astatine 6331 Hollywood Blvd. connected Feb. 7, 2024.

(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)

The incidents person divided anti-Scientology activists. Some erstwhile members judge nan runs are an effective shape of protestation against an statement that has been accused successful lawsuits of activity abuse, violating kid labour laws and forcing members to get abortions. The religion has denied wrongdoing successful each cases. In 2018, a female who accused nan Church of Scientology of forcing her to person an abortion settled a suit complete nan matter; nan statement denied nan allegations.

Prominent Scientologist Danny Masterson was convicted successful 2023 of sexually assaulting 2 chap religion members successful Los Angeles, during a proceedings wherever it was alleged that religion policies barred his victims from reporting him to constabulary decades earlier. Church officials were besides accused of trying to “derail” nan lawsuit against Masterson by harassing 1 of nan prosecutors assigned to nan case.

The religion has antecedently denied having immoderate argumentation limiting members from reporting crimes and called nan allegations regarding nan charismatic connected nan Masterson lawsuit “categorically false.”

“What mundane citizens do to troll Scientology and get viral views connected TikTok ... are nan only things being done to make Scientology uncomfortable and to move them into a joke truthful that caller group don’t get trapped by them,” said ex-Scientologist Jenna Miscavage, nan niece of nan church’s leader, David Miscavage. “I for 1 very overmuch admit it.”

The “speed runner” who said to The Times said allegations against nan religion and its estimation for secrecy, successful part, motivated nan attention-grabbing “raids” connected religion buildings.

“That’s what this is astir for maine and others — applying pressure, demanding transparency and pushing for answers,” nan personification said.

The religion spokesperson said turning Scientology properties into “targets for viral stunts is not journalism, protestation aliases civic activity. It is trespass, harassment and disruption of belief facilities.”

Actress Leah Remini, a erstwhile religion personnel who became an outspoken activistic and is locked successful a heated legal conflict pinch nan organization, said past week successful a station connected X that she feared nan “speed running” inclination would backfire.

“I want arsenic galore group arsenic imaginable talking astir nan dangers and criminality of Scientology,” she wrote. “But I spent decades connected nan different broadside of this, and if I had been confronted by group moving done Scientology buildings and harassing maine aliases staff, it would person pushed maine further into Scientology.”

Brian Levin, professor emeritus astatine Cal State San Bernardino and laminitis of nan Center for nan Study of Hate and Extremism, wondered if group would respond otherwise if specified actions were carried retired astatine a much accepted location of believe — a Christian church, Jewish temple aliases Islamic mosque.

Levin said it was “extraordinarily troubling” to spot group “invading” belief centers for nan liking of creating a viral moment.

“One doesn’t person nan correct to definitive themselves successful a convulsive way, that invades personification else’s spot of tranquility,” he said. “I could attraction little what nan religion is.”

There were 16 reported instances of dislike crimes committed against Scientologists successful 2024, according to a study generated by nan L.A. County Commission connected Human Relations. That made them nan third-most targeted belief group successful nan county, down only group of Muslim and Jewish faith, nan study said.

Some of nan caller videos show nan runners bumping into information guards and shoving past religion staff, past leaving aft being cornered and told to get disconnected nan property.

Levin, who is besides a erstwhile constabulary officer, said it is imaginable those colliding pinch information guards could beryllium charged pinch battery.

“Anyone that does this is not only doing a vile thing, they’re really putting themselves astatine bonzer [legal] risk,” he said.

The stepped-up information astatine Scientology buildings appeared to dissuade 3 teens who approached nan building while a Times newsman observed a Hollywood location connected Sunday afternoon. The trio pulled up connected e-bikes, drove up to nan entranceway of nan Information Center and began shouting and taking pictures, pausing to return drags disconnected a vape while peering done nan shuttered doors. They drove disconnected down an alley erstwhile guards appeared.

William Gude, a Hollywood resident and outspoken professional of Scientology who runs nan “Film The Police L.A.” relationship connected societal media, said that while he didn’t condone rule breaking, it was clear nan disruptions were impacting nan church’s operations.

“It’s analyzable and its not thing I would condone … but nan much attraction that Scientology gets, nan worse it is for Scientology,” he said. “They run connected secrecy.”

Times unit writer Ruben Vives contributed to this report.