New York Church of Scientology targeted in latest ‘speedrun’ incident - BERITAJA

A group of group forced their measurement into a Scientology religion successful New York connected Saturday successful the latest incident involving the viral “speedrunning” inclination connected societal media, successful which participants participate the church’s locations and title done hallways while attempting to evade information guards and spot really acold they could get earlier being escorted out.

Police are investigating aft about 25 group gained introduction to the Church of Scientology connected West 36th Street successful Manhattan while a seminar was underway, creating chaos by throwing objects and damaging property.

Police responded to a 911 telephone reporting a burglary successful advancement soon aft 4 p.m. Saturday, a New York City Police Department (NYPD) spokesperson confirmed successful a connection to BERITAJA.

Upon arrival, officers were informed that “a group of unidentified individuals forcibly entered the location done the broadside doorway and caused spot damage,” the NYPD spokesperson said.

“During the incident, the 30-year-old antheral unfortunate was kicked successful the leg. The aided antheral sustained insignificant injuries but was not hospitalized,” the NYPD spokesperson added.

Police said the “unidentified individuals fled the incident location successful an chartless direction” and location person been nary arrests.

“On May 2, 2026, a group of individuals forced their measurement into the Church of Scientology New York, collapsed a locked doorway to summation entry, and rushed into the building. During the incident, spot was damaged, objects were thrown, and a unit personnel was physically struck and injured, requiring aesculapian attention. Another unit personnel was subjected to a group slur,” Scientology spokesperson David Bloomberg told BERITAJA successful a statement.

“The disruption endangered staff, parishioners and visitors, including individuals attending a seminar astatine the time. This was not a serene sojourn aliases lawful protest. It was a coordinated enactment involving forced entry, spot damage, and beingness aggression wrong a location of worship,” Bloomberg added.

The Church of Scientology said it is “fully cooperating pinch the NYPD investigation and is supplying disposable evidence, including video.”

The investigation into Saturday’s incident remains ongoing.

The word “speedrunning” is portion of video crippled civilization and refers to playing done a crippled arsenic quickly arsenic imaginable during a “speedrun,” often to debar glitches and to minimize completion time.

The latest speedrunning incident comes arsenic Vancouver constabulary released a informing aft they attended the city’s Church of Scientology location connected Saturday astatine about 3 p.m. aft being made alert of a group of about 250 to 300 group gathering.

“We received accusation that immoderate of them were trying to get in, truthful we deployed constabulary officers that were astatine different protests successful the area,” Sgt. Adam Donaldson pinch the Vancouver constabulary said. “At the rear, location was immoderate young group that managed to break a gross … but our members were capable to forestall them from entering.”

Police utilized strategies to move the crowd distant from the church, he said, but astatine about 5 p.m. the group returned.

A 16-year-old boy was arrested for a breach of the peace. He was later released into the custody of his parents and nary charges were laid. Donaldson said the teen was arrested for pushing a constabulary officer.

Donaldson told BERITAJA location are criminal aspects to the trend, and imaginable charges, depending connected the actions group are taking to subordinate in.

“If you are attempting to summation introduction to a building, that is break and enter. If you are damaging property, that is mischief,” he said. “I saw the societal media videos. I saw a batch of young group successful the crowd masked up, and if you are making choices for illustration that, you could perchance drawback a criminal complaint and it would impact the remainder of your life.”

Last week, church officials accused the speedrunners of “hate crimes” aft an incident took place astatine Scientology’s Hollywood properties.

“These incidents are not ‘speed running.’ They are organized trespasses into belief and nationalist accusation accommodation for societal media attention,” Scientology spokesperson Bloomberg said successful a connection to the Los Angeles Times.

“Over caller weeks, individuals person many times forced their measurement into Church properties connected Hollywood Boulevard, disrupted belief and nationalist facilities, damaged Church property, and endangered staff, parishioners and visitors.”

A Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) spokesperson told the outlet that constabulary person received 5 reports of trespassing incidents astatine Scientology’s Hollywood properties this year. Only 2 of those incidents were successful narration to a “so-called velocity moving attempt,” according to the LAPD spokesperson.

The LAPD’s awesome crimes section said it was tasked pinch investigating Saturday’s incident arsenic “an alleged dislike crime.”

The Church of Scientology reportedly removed doorway handles from 3 of the church’s Hollywood Boulevard properties and information guards were spotted blocking entrances connected Monday aft aggregate videos were filmed wrong by “speedrunners” who forced their measurement past security.

— pinch files from BERITAJA’ Sean Previl