Hello. I'm Zarathustra. I'm a mental health nurse. I write for the Mental Nurse blog.

I think criticism of psychiatry is perfectly valid, except when it comes from the Church of Scientology. They have a museum entitled Psychiatry - An Industry of Death, which among other things accuses psychiatry of being responsible for the Holocaust. The CoS also has questions to answer about the deaths of Lisa McPherson a mentally ill woman who died under the care of the Church of Scientology, and of Elli Perkins who was killed by her schizophrenic son after Scientologists treated him with vitamins instead of antipsychotics.

So, I decided to attend the Operation Party Hard protest in London on March 15th 2008. The protest started outside the Church of Scientology headquarters on Queen Victoria Street before moving to their office on Tottenham Court Road.

Because of the Church's notorious harassment of its critics, we wore masks. This is me.



As we left Blackfriars tube station, this sign was waiting for us



We arrived at the protest, and a nice man offered us cake.



Other people had decorated their cakes.





These people came with me.



Some placards







Some people protested the Church of Scientology's tax-exempt status.





A woman objecting to the Church's homophobia



The Church of Scientology headquarters. Somebody's making a lot of money.



And what's this? From one of the windows of the Scientology building, we were being photographed.



And on the roof of the building, there was another photographer taking pictures.



And the CoS weren't the only people keen to catch us on film.



Seaneen: "Why are you filming us?"

Police Officer: "To show everyone what a peaceful protest you are."

Me: "Of course we're peaceful! We've got sweets!"

Call me Mr Paranoid, but I can't help but note that (a) the City of London Police has been criticised for getting over-chummy with the Scientologists and (b) at the second protest site on Tottenham Court Road, the Metropolitan Police didn't seem to feel the need to film us. *strokes beard*

Birthday balloons to celebrate L. Ron Hubbard's birthday.







A little reminder to us.



Some random shots of protesters.

























This guy decided he didn't want to wear a mask.




A gorilla entertains the police.




I didn't take many photos of the second protest on Tottenham Court Road. Here's a couple.