What is a ‘Scientology speedrun’ and why is social media suddenly obsessed with it?
Ima, if someone said “Scientology speedrun” to me I would think about Tom Cruise in tight shorts.But that is not what is happening, is it?Not quite, Cait.The Scientology speedrun appears to have spawned in March when content creator Swhileyy filmed himself rushing the Church of Scientology on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.That video gained 90m views before it was deleted.Since then, groups of mostly young men have documented themselves charging into the LA centre, pulling in millions of views on TikTok.
The unofficial goal: see how far inside the building you can get.It has escalated quickly.Some users have started mapping out blueprints of the building based on videos of the raids.Others have taken a more avant garde approach, storming the lobby dressed as Jesus or Minions demanding to see Tom Cruise.To obscure their identities, speedrunners generally wear face coverings, cat masks or even full dinosaur costumes.
So it started in LA, but now people are doing it in Australia,Why are people doing this?I can’t speak for the speedrunners themselves, but it largely comes down to a mix of public intrigue and the internet’s appetite for absurdity,Scientology, founded by American author L Ron Hubbard in the 1950s, has long drawn accusations of being a high-control group or cult, which the church has strenuously denied,Combine that with the reality that extreme public pranks practically guarantee social media engagement and you’ve got a recipe for virality,We’ve already seen the global expansion of these speedruns to the UK, where hundreds of teenagers attempted to rush Scientology buildings at various locations.
Now, the trend has reached Australian shores.On Saturday, Sydney and Brisbane Scientology buildings were surrounded by a group of mostly young people, demanding access to the building.In Sydney, “a crowd of about 100 young people” gathered outside the church on Castlereagh Street at about 1.30pm, according to New South Wales police.A police spokesperson said officers including members of the riot squad dispersed the group.
A 19-year-old woman and a 17-year-old girl were arrested for failing to comply with police directions.A similar crowd targeted the Brisbane Scientology building on George Street in the CBD.According to Queensland police, one teenager jumped into the driver’s side of a police car before quickly hopping out, while another rode a BMX bike over the roof of the same vehicle.Two teenagers, aged 15 and 18, were charged.Despite the disruption, neither the Sydney nor the Brisbane group actually made it inside the buildings to fulfil their speedrunning goals.
There were whispers of it happening in South Australia.“I saw three kids acting over-excited out the front of there yesterday,” one Reddit user commented under a thread about a potential Adelaide Scientology speedrun.Another said: “TikTok trends usually annoy the shit out of me, but I’ve gotta hand it to the kids on this one.”I see.But is Scientology even that big in Australia?In terms of presence, sure.
In terms of actual numbers, it’s unclear,Scientology has an outsized presence in Los Angeles, with celebrity adherents including Tom Cruise and John Travolta, but its reach extends globally,In Australia, the church has established sprawling facilities in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Canberra,High-profile Australian members include singer Kate Ceberano, whose grandparents raised their family as Scientologists,Former members of the church don’t seem to be impressed – what is the go with that?Defectors, including the actor Leah Remini, have accused the church of fostering a culture of abuse.
Remini weighed in on the social media trend, calling it “unhelpful”.Remini wrote on X that “running through a Scientology building” only confirms the church’s narrative that the outside world is dangerous, leading members to double down on their beliefs.“Please focus on exposing the dangers of Scientology, not making a spectacle out of it.”Alexander Barnes Ross, who has led protests against Scientology in the UK, was concerned the speedruns trivialised serious advocacy.“There is nothing funny about Scientology.
This is a dangerous, harmful organisation,” he said, adding that forced entries undermine legitimate protest efforts.What has the Church of Scientology said about it?In a statement to Guardian Australia, the church said “individuals have repeatedly forced their way into Church properties, disrupted religious and public facilities, damaged Church property, and endangered staff, parishioners and visitors”.“During one large-scale incident, dozens of individuals rushed into buildings without permission.Staff members were knocked down in the chaos, and the Church is reviewing all available remedies to protect its personnel, visitors and property,” the statement said.“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.”The statement said the church had reported the incidents to law enforcement and increased security, saying that “a house of worship and public information facilities have been repeatedly targeted by people seeking internet attention”.“The Church welcomes lawful visitors.It does not welcome mobs forcing entry, damaging property, disrupting religious spaces or endangering people for views,” the statement said.
Democrats are playing with fire in trying to reclaim tax cuts from Republicans
Senator Chris Van Hollen and other Democratic lawmakers are embracing a policy that hardly benefits the middle classSoul-searching within the Democratic party is to be expected after its loss in the 2024 election. Donald Trump’s edge over Kamala Harris in voters’ perceptions of economic competence (perplexing though it now appears following a year of erratic policymaking) was bound to inspire a call to rethink the party platform.Yet the second-guessing is steering the Democrats down a dangerous path to embracing a tax-cutting strategy that risks defeating the project to enable a healthier, more equitable society.The most prominent proposal bouncing around Democratic circles comes in a bill from Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland senator. In a nutshell, it proposes cutting taxes for Americans earning up to $80,500 ($161,000 for married couples) and funding the $1
Oil prices climb after Trump dismisses Iran’s response to peace plan
Oil prices have climbed after Donald Trump condemned Iran’s response to US proposals to end the war as “totally unacceptable”.The president’s rejection of Tehran’s overture in a post on his Truth Social platform triggered a jump in Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, by as much as 4% on Monday to $105.50 a barrel, before easing back to settle at $103.50.The US had presented a peace proposal a week ago, said to consist of a 14-point memorandum of understanding that would reopen the strait of Hormuz, while setting a framework for further talks on Iran’s nuclear programme
US Senate expected to confirm Kevin Warsh as next Federal Reserve chair
The US Senate is expected to confirm Kevin Warsh this week as chair of the Federal Reserve, as Donald Trump continues his campaign to influence the world’s most important central bank.The Fed’s influence over the economy spans from the job market to mortgage rates, and its every move is carefully scrutinized by investors on Wall Street. Warsh’s confirmation comes at a turbulent time for the central bank, which has fallen under intense scrutiny from Trump for not lowering interest rates.The vote is expected to be split along party lines. Democrats criticize Warsh for being Trump’s “sock puppet” at a time when the president has pushed past the typical boundaries between the White House and the nonpartisan Fed
UK households bracing for new cost of living crisis, report finds
British households are bracing for a new cost of living crisis, as the impact of the Middle East conflict dampens confidence in the economy and personal finances, a survey has suggested.Consumer confidence in the UK has dipped over the last three months at the fastest rate since June 2022, when inflation in the UK was soaring as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the spike in commodity prices.The quarterly survey from the accountancy firm PwC, which measures factors such as consumers’ spending intentions and how well off they feel, recorded a score of -13 in April, a sharp fall from -1 in January and the lowest level since autumn 2023.PwC said confidence about household finances was down across all age groups, although young people were still more optimistic than older people, despite there being a 20% fall in those under 35 who feel financially healthy and a 9% increase in those who are struggling or in trouble with their bills and finances.Almost 90% of 2,068 consumers surveyed by PwC said they were concerned about the cost of living, and almost 80% plan to cut back on their spending in the next three months
Delayed Great British Railways’ first station to open at Cambridge South in June
The delayed Cambridge South station will finally open in late June – and become the first station to be given full Great British Railways branding, the government has announced.The station sits beside the city’s Biomedical Campus, Europe’s largest medical research centre, and will connect it with direct trains to London, Brighton and Stansted airport, as well as up to nine trains an hour to the centre of Cambridge itself.Services will begin calling at Cambridge South on Sunday 28 June, the Department for Transport said, with 1.8 million passengers expected annually.The DfT said the adjacent Biomedical Campus was forecast to contribute £18
Full nationalisation of British Steel expected in king’s speech
The full nationalisation of British Steel is expected to be announced in the king’s speech this week, a year after the government took over the daily running of the loss-making business from its Chinese owner.The steelmaker, which employs 3,500 people at its plant in Scunthorpe, came under government control last April amid fears that its owner, Jingye, was planning to shut down the site.British Steel operates the last two remaining blast furnaces in the UK, but its economic control remains with the Chinese company, which bought it out of insolvency in early 2020.An announcement confirming the plans is expected in the king’s speech on Wednesday, according to the Sunday Times, but details of the speech are still being finalised.British Steel was bought by the private equity group Greybull Capital in 2016, but it collapsed into insolvency three years later
Renters’ Rights Act could worsen court delays without proper funding | Letters
Doctors warned Andrea could die without safe housing, then discharged her to sleep on the streets
GPs and hospitals in England to be required to share data to create single patient records
My egg, my wife’s womb, our baby: how we found our way to lesbian motherhood
‘They’ve invented a spurious pseudo-disease’: why are so many men being told they have low testosterone?
‘A sobering indictment’: 14 homeless people die a year in public parks or countryside in Australia, analysis finds