Jesus Christ. Naruto. Gru and his minions. All raiding a building full of people in tight suit vests. No, this isn’t a fever dream, but rather an online trend where groups of teenagers film themselves running through Church of Scientology property.
What was initially a collaboration between TikTok users @isDurppy and @Swhileyy attempting the first Scientology speedrun escalated into videos of hundreds of teenagers attempting to infiltrate Scientology buildings in just a matter of weeks. Although teenage hooliganism is typically condemned and criticized by the public — especially when it impacts religious organizations — these speedruns act as a legitimate form of protest against religious abuse. They should be considered a form of civil disobedience and a sign of Generation Z’s growing interest in activism and treated as a framework for our generation’s social movements.
The Church of Scientology was founded in the early 1950s by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard. Denying the validity of mainstream psychiatric practices, the ultimate goal for a Scientologist is to reach a state called Clear, an arduous process that requires secretive teachings only available to those who have participated for years and have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for Scientology courses.
Beyond this obvious financial exploitation, the organization is controversial for supposedly abusing its members physically and emotionally. In 2022, three former Scientology members filed a lawsuit against the organization, alleging human trafficking and forced labor practices. The members claimed the organization committed “systematic physical, sexual, and emotional abuse” against them while they worked aboard cruise ships and in labor camps. They argued the organization indebted and threatened them into staying. Multiple deaths are also allegedly tied to refusal of psychiatric care, while prominent members often disappear.
Hubbard previously detailed policies for attacking critics, stating that enemies of the church, called “Suppressive Persons,” can be “deprived of property or injured by any means” and can be “tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed.”
This ideology translated into journalists and prominent critics of the organization being subject to intimidation through lawsuits, stalking, and doxxing. But what happens when thousands of critics show up at the Church’s doors?
Scientology, meet TikTok, the Church’s most “Suppressive Person” thus far and a platform for silly videos that Gen Z has strategically used to mobilize protests called speedruns.
Speedrunning is a term from the gaming community referring to when players attempt to finish a part of a video game in a set amount of time. This has translated into groups of mostly teens and young adults filming themselves attempting to get as deep as they can into Scientology information centers, headquarters, and commercial buildings as quickly as possible, much to the annoyance and frustration of Scientologists.
The abnormal praise by netizens is explained by decades of accusations of abuses, financial exploitation, and human trafficking leveled against the Church of Scientology, wherein any disruption of its activity is seen as disrupting that exploitation. Even though no polling exists examining the public’s approval of Scientology speedruns, online comments seem to be favorable to the speedrunners. From Fox News to CNN, from TikTok to Facebook, nearly all of the reception toward the trend has been positive.
Fourth-year Jessalyn Flowers said to The UCSD Guardian that she found the speedrunning trend to be hilarious and productive, referencing “Mission: Impossible” actor Tom Cruise, who has been an active member of the Church of Scientology since 1986.
“It is always morally correct to troll Tom Cruise,” Flowers said. “If that means reenacting January 6, minus the QAnon, and making Scientology buildings literally lock the doors so people who don’t know better can’t get in, then so be it.”
However, Church officials disagree, describing this online behavior as a “hate crime” and calling on the Los Angeles Police Department to treat it as such.
This characterization ignores the fundamental reason why young people are gathering at these locations. Though the belief system is strange to many, the abuse and manipulative tactics of the organization are what prompt the public’s positive reaction to the speedrunning trend, rather than hateful prejudice.
Leah Remini, a former member and celebrity critic of Scientology, publicly argued that these raids may legitimize the fear of the outside world for Scientology members. But the increased attention toward its abuses and the disruptions to its commercial revenue serve as entertaining warnings to potential victims. For the people most vulnerable and susceptible to the organization’s manipulative tactics, millions more eyes on its alleged crimes will encourage them to stay away.
Detractors like Remini may also point out the multiple arrests across these cities related to vandalism and battery. However, many of these cases seem to stem from Scientologists’ attempts to physically block speedrunners and play up minor incidents. Even if these cases are actionable, the vast majority of participants run into buildings meant to be open to the public, make some noise for their TikToks, and then leave after staff members ask them to.
Stretched resources make it more difficult for the Church to intimidate or harass individual people, with too many participants making targeted retaliation ineffective. Today, the Church of Scientology Information Center in Hollywood has apparently removed its door handles and appears to be closed to the public, while the organization as a whole has had to bolster its security presence. The increased attention on the organization impedes its ability to recruit new members and attack critics.
The fusion between entertainment and public protest should not be dismissed as a mere nuisance. It is, instead, Gen Z’s way of utilizing a platform so negatively associated with disconnection to mobilize protests. Imagine a world in which Spongebob and Triple T lawfully speedrun not only Scientology, but offices of corrupt politicians and healthcare CEOs as well.
