The Church of Scientology has earned the ire of locals and college students after closing an entire city block to open its new “ideal branch” in Chicago.
During the grand opening ceremony in South Loop, “thousands of followers” blocked access to an entire block of South Clark Street on Sunday.
“While before that Windy City ribbon comes down, now is also the time to acknowledge what you already know: how just as Chicago was once reborn, today there is room for new beginnings,” said controversial leader David Miscavige to the crowd outside. the brick building of 650 South Clark Street.
“And thus space to give individuals the ability to live a better life, at their own discretion and with their fellow human beings, and to play a better game,” he said at the opening of the building.
The opening sparked backlash from some students at Columbia College, which has a residence hall next to the new building.
Controversial leader David Miscavige greeted the crowd at the opening of the building on Sunday
The big ceremony in South Loop blocked access to an entire block of South Clark Street
Musicians performed outside the brick building of 650 South Clark Street
Devin Schwieters, a freshman told the Chicago Tribune the location may attract young students to the church, which is “disturbing.”
“The first week of school in September, when we got here, they had set up all these tables in front of our dorm with their free stress tests, and they were doing auditions for students, which was always a little weird,” she explained.
“When they first started setting up on Saturday, they had all these tables set up again, and it was like, ‘Hey, Columbia, thanks for being our new neighbors.’
“They were giving out free donuts and stuff, and it just left me with a weird taste in my mouth. It’s very clear what they’re trying to do,” she added.
Roisin Darby, a sophomore at Columbia, told the Tribune that the grand opening was “completely disrespectful to the residents.”
“Not only were we as students denied access to our building, as we sometimes had to physically push past people, but almost every business on our street had to close that day,” Darby said.
“Columbia College Chicago is committed to working with the Church of Scientology as a neighbor,” said college spokesperson Jacqueline Partridge.
“Our team plans to meet with representatives in the coming weeks.”
Students at Colombia College, which has a residence hall next to the new building, have expressed their concerns
A Church spokesperson said the new facility is being called an “Ideal Church of Scientology.”
The new building provides the ‘ideal facilities to serve Scientologists on their path to greater states of spiritual awareness and freedom’
Chicago City Council Councilman Bill Ward told the Tribune that his office had received several dozen complaints after Sunday’s event.
Conway told the publication that he had spoken to church leaders and told them that future permits would face “significant scrutiny” because of the complaints.
“They said, ‘This was our grand opening, we’re not really planning any more of it,’ so it was a one-time event,” he said.
Adding: ‘We are going to do everything we can to ensure the community continues to have access to everything and that everyone is safe.’
Bari Berger, a spokesperson for the Church, said the new facility is being called an “Ideal Church of Scientology” because it provides the “ideal facilities to serve Scientologists on their path to greater states of spiritual awareness and freedom.”
‘The Church is happy to be open. We have had an avalanche of well wishes welcoming us to the community. “Many new neighbors have told us how happy they are to see the church finally open in its new home,” she said in a statement.
That 70’s Show star Danny Masterson was convicted last May of raping two women in the early 2000s
“We look forward to working hand-in-hand with our neighbors and many community partners in a collective effort to elevate this great city.”
He added that the church followed instructions from the city and police and “did our utmost to ensure that anyone with apartments or businesses on the street had access during the street closure.”
The Church of Scientology has faced renewed criticism following the rape conviction of former celebrity member Danny Masterson.
The disgraced TV actor was convicted last May of raping two women in the early 2000s.
He was sentenced by a Los Angeles jury in September to 30 years to life behind bars with the possibility of parole for two counts of rape by force, violence or fear of bodily harm.
After Masterson’s conviction for the two rapes, he was expelled from the Church of Scientology and declared a “suppressive person” – or an “SP” – which the church defines as someone whose behavior seeks to hinder the spiritual progress of those around him. to obstruct.