Hundreds of people, mostly teens, attempted to enter the Vancouver location of the Church of Scientology on Saturday afternoon, according to authorities, who are warning about the potential consequences of a viral social media stunt dubbed “Scientology speedrunning.”
Officers were called to the building in downtown Vancouver around 3 p.m. for reports of a rowdy crowd of nearly 300, a Vancouver Police Department spokesperson told CTV news, in a statement.
“Some people tried to kick in a gate at the rear of the building but were stopped by police. People in the crowd were throwing things at police. No police officers or anyone in the crowd was injured,” Sgt. Adam Donaldson wrote in an email.
Donaldson said a crowd returned around 5 p.m. and one teen was arrested while officers were “surrounded” by members of the crowd, Donaldson added. The teen was released to the custody of his parents without charges and the scene was cleared around 6:30 p.m.
Similar incidents have been reported in cities in the U.S., including Los Angeles and New York. The viral TikTok trend took off last month and has been condemned by the church, which has beefed up security at some locations in response.
A TikTok account publicizing the “raid” has posted videos of the Vancouver incident.
Donaldson also issued a warning to anyone considering an attempt of a so-called speedrun.
“It may seem fun for young people to get swept up in these viral trends, but this is a criminal matter,” he said.
“Trying to get into a building is break and enter. Damaging property is mischief, throwing things at police is assaulting a police officer,” he said, in the statement.
“Any conviction could have serious consequences for the rest of someone’s life.”
A spokesperson for the Church of Scientology said the actions of Saturday’s crowd were unacceptable and included “abusive chants” and other “disruptive conduct” while thanking police for the swift response.
“This was not a peaceful visit or lawful protest. It was a co-ordinated act involving attempts to breach a religious facility and disrupt its operations,” media relations representative David Bloomberg wrote in a statement.
“Church facilities are peaceful spaces designed to welcome parishioners, visitors and members of the public. Turning them into targets for viral stunts is not journalism, protest or civic activity. It is trespass, harassment and disruption of religious spaces.”
