Scientology ‘speed running’ trend has LA abuzz and church unhappy | Los Angeles
Every day, Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles is teeming with tourists and street performers clustered near the area’s many landmarks. But in recent months, the strip has been buzzing for a new reason.
Crowds of mostly teenagers and young men rushed toward the international headquarters of the Church of Scientology on the famous street.
The so-called “speed races” appear to be as much an attempt to capitalize on social media – clips of the raids have racked up millions of views on TikTok – as they are the result of public intrigue around the church, which has previously been accused of being a cult. Some users developed plans of the building based on information gathered from videos of the raids.
The church released a statement to the Guardian on Wednesday regarding a “large-scale incident” on Saturday, in which “dozens of individuals” forced their way into its facilities, knocking down staff members.
“These are peaceful spaces designed to welcome parishioners, visitors and members of the public. Making them targets for viral actions is not journalism, protest or civic activity. It is intrusion, harassment and disruption of religious facilities,” the church wrote.
Church officials said they were “considering all available remedies” and had reported to law enforcement. At least one staff member suffered injuries that required medical treatment following the incidents, spokesman David Bloomberg said.
Los Angeles police received five reports of trespassing incidents, two of which appeared to be related to high-speed racing attempts, according to the Los Angeles Times.
No arrests have been made, an LAPD spokesperson told the Guardian.
An 18-year-old content creator going by the handle Swhileyy seems to have started the trend. In March, he posted a video on Instagram, which has since been deleted, showing himself trespassing. Swhileyy said she heard about the church through Streets LA, a TikTok account with more than 330,000 followers.
Swhileyy, who has not been publicly identified, has distanced himself from the trend.
“I don’t condone what I did, even though I didn’t break any laws,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “I have never, once, in any video, comment section or anywhere, promoted the idea of running there or breaking my record.”
Scientology, founded by science fiction writer L Ron Hubbard in the 1950s, has been the subject of intense scrutiny and public speculation. Many celebrities, including Tom Cruise and John Travolta, belong to this church, which is very present in Los Angeles.
Defectors, including actress Leah Remini, have accused the Church of fostering a culture of abuse.
Last week, Remini spoke out about the social media trend, calling it “unnecessary.”
“If someone has been brainwashed for years into believing that the outside world is full of dangerous lunatics who wish to undermine Scientology, a group of people walking through a Scientology building will only confirm that belief and cause him to dedicate himself even more to the cause he believes in,” Remini wrote on X.
“Please focus on exposing the dangers of Scientology, without making a spectacle of it. »
