Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Image
Topics: TikTok, Viral, Los Angeles, Crime, California
The UNILAD Team
Topics: TikTok, Viral, Los Angeles, Crime, California
A bizarre TikTok trend that is causing teens to sneak into and then sprint through buildings belonging to the Church of Scientology has forced the secretive organization to issue a furious response.
Referred to as the 'scientology speedrun', the trend has seen videos of people vaulting past security guards to see how far they can get inside the self-described religion's properties get million of views on the platform - causing others to attempt the same.
As a result, a Church of Scientology in California has been forced to remove all of its door handles and limit access only to approved visitors, to prevent the 'trespassing, harassment and disruption of religious facilities'.
In a furious statement, the church, which counts celebrities like Tom Cruise and Elizabeth Moss among its members, denounced the trend for ruining their 'peaceful spaces' and turning them into 'targets for viral stunts', and revealing the 'chaos' it had caused among its ranks.
Advert
“Over recent weeks, individuals have repeatedly forced their way into Church properties on Hollywood Boulevard, disrupted religious and public facilities, damaged Church property, and endangered staff, parishioners and visitors,” the official statement reads.
A particularly large 'speedrun' of two Scientology buildings on this prominent street in Los Angeles occurred last Saturday (April 25) saw dozens of people take up this viral trend, barreling into the L. Ron Hubbard Life Exhibition and a nearby information center.
This invasion of a space dedicated to the memory of Scientology's founder, science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard who turned his 1950s 'dianetics' self-help book into a religion, drew the sharpest criticism from the church.
“Staff members were knocked down in the chaos, and the Church is reviewing all available remedies to protect its personnel, visitors and property,” they said, adding that they would be referring the incident to law enforcement.
A video shared on Instagram shows the moment that a number of mostly disguised individuals broke through the outer security of one of these buildings, including people dressed as Jesus and Sonic the Hedgehog.
As masked people race through rooms and up stairwells in the building, one security guard can be seen chasing the group, shouting: “You are trespassing, please leave! The police have been called!”
While the Los Angeles Police Department has said its aware of the incident and want two members of the group in relation to criminal activity, one for vandalism and another for battery with hate crime, many 'speedrunners' are unrepentant.
One who has amassed millions of views on social media doing the stunt and is believed to have started the trend, Swhileyy, told the Hollywood Reporter that he had not done anything illegal and wants people to stop.
He said: “I do not condone what I did, even though I didn’t break any laws. All I did was explore the building. I was never asked not to come back to the premises.
“I never once in any video or any comment section or anywhere promoted the idea of running through there or beating my record.”