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| Church of Scientology opens headquarters in Birmingham, amid protests from former members | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| As former members protested outside, the Church of Scientology opened a new headquarters in Birmingham. | As former members protested outside, the Church of Scientology opened a new headquarters in Birmingham. |
| The £4.2m Pitmaston House development in the Moseley area of the city was adorned with large blue rosettes and ribbons but local media reported there was a heavy security presence. | |
| Only invited guests were allowed to attend, and coaches were used to block the view from a nearby road. | |
| The organisation’s leader was gave a speech at the event, according to its website. | |
| He said: “When that inaugural ribbon falls, so a curtain rises… and so it becomes every Scientologist’s responsibility to uplift England’s Salt of the Earth, thereby turning an industrial revolution into a spiritual revolution.” | He said: “When that inaugural ribbon falls, so a curtain rises… and so it becomes every Scientologist’s responsibility to uplift England’s Salt of the Earth, thereby turning an industrial revolution into a spiritual revolution.” |
| The Church of Scientology, which bought Pitmaston House in 2007, claimed to have a core following in the UK’s second most populous city. It plans to use the building to expand its operations through the Midlands and beyond. | The Church of Scientology, which bought Pitmaston House in 2007, claimed to have a core following in the UK’s second most populous city. It plans to use the building to expand its operations through the Midlands and beyond. |
| Former Scientologists were among those who protested the opening of the building. | Former Scientologists were among those who protested the opening of the building. |
| “People don’t understand what’s going on in their local area and that’s very frightening,” William Drummond, a former long-time member, told the Birmingham Mail. | “People don’t understand what’s going on in their local area and that’s very frightening,” William Drummond, a former long-time member, told the Birmingham Mail. |
| “The main motivation for them is money, property and expansion – and that’s evident here.” | |
| Another former Scientologist, Adrian Bailey, told the newspaper: “What annoyed me the most was that they always asked for money. And with all the secrecy, it’s not surprising people think it’s a cult.” | Another former Scientologist, Adrian Bailey, told the newspaper: “What annoyed me the most was that they always asked for money. And with all the secrecy, it’s not surprising people think it’s a cult.” |