this post was submitted on 12 May 2026
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Don't post pictures of yourself online doing illegal shit.

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[–] RampantParanoia2365@lemmy.world 5 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

...trend? So other teens have stormed scientology churches?

[–] Flying_Penguin@lemmy.zip 6 points 18 hours ago

Sorry, seen this in my 'All' feed. Didn't know scientology had a place down there.

But yeah "trend". I think the building here in California took the door knobs off their entrances because it kept happening.

[–] eestileib@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 15 hours ago

True life lessons often hurt at the time.

[–] hanrahan@slrpnk.net 3 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago)

mmmm ordinary people learn from their mistakes, smart people learn from the mistakes of others (not this group or they'd not have posted b soc media), stupid people never kearn

They literally did this to put it on social media so it seems odd to suggest they don't then put it on social media

[–] Insekticus@aussie.zone 66 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

What a gross waste of tax-payer money and police time. Fuck the scientologist hucksters.

Just a bunch of lawyers invoicing the rich to allow them to do immoral things and write it off as a charity donation.

[–] Stern@lemmy.world 42 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

god forbid kids have fun anymore

[–] EarlOfSam@quokk.au 17 points 1 day ago

Y'know people like this complain when kids don't go out, and complain when they do

Smh can't win with these people

[–] Echinoderm@aussie.zone 25 points 1 day ago (1 children)

What's the likelihood that the "climbed over and into police vehicles" is 90% of the reason the police care enough to put any resources into a serious investigation?

[–] hayvan@piefed.world 28 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Teenagers learning what ACAB means.

[–] remon@ani.social 31 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Nah, if you're stupid enough to film yourself while doing crimes you deserve everything you get. And I say that fully condoning these scientology runs.

[–] Tiresia@slrpnk.net 1 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

"If you go for a walk, you're still running laps around everybody who stayed home on the couch"

Kids have got to learn how to not make stupid mistakes through practice. In the moment there are way too many things to re-examine and it's natural default habits come back.

At my first action I parked my bike 50m away and had to pass as an innocent bystander and no-sell the cops to get my bike back. That was stupid of me, but there were dozens of other things I did for the first time that I did a passable job at.

It's toxic to let mistakes outweigh everything.

[–] remon@ani.social 1 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

We are talking about a 15-19 year olds here, not little kids. And they are not on death-row, they're probably get fine and/or some community service. Seems quite appropirate as a punishment for being an absolute idiot. I'm standing by it, they deserve that.

[–] JillyB@beehaw.org -2 points 1 day ago (2 children)
[–] remon@ani.social 1 points 11 hours ago

I'm not quite creative enough to imagine a fantasy world in which they are the victims, sorry.

[–] NOPper@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

They're victims because they filmed themselves doing something they know is illegal and are now being processed with the evidence they themselves collected? I'm all for these shenanigans, just seems like a silly take to me.

[–] JillyB@beehaw.org 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I understand chastising them for bad opsec. But I draw the line at saying they deserve it. A person not doing anything wrong doesn't deserve to be punished. That makes it seem like the police response is justified and it isn't.

[–] FreedomAdvocate@lemmy.net.au 2 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

They did do something wrong though lol

[–] athatet@lemmy.zip 1 points 17 hours ago

Did they tho? Did they really?

[–] the_riviera_kid@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

It's "clout culture" combined with poor parenting. They see other people doing it and they want to be part of the in crowd. Because they were never taught critical thinking skills they never stop to think "If my dumbfuck buddy Kyle can see this so can the cops".

When I was growing up I learned to assume everyone is a cop, as a result I made sure no one was looking (even my dipshit peers) before I did something potentially ruinous.

[–] dan@upvote.au 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Don't post pictures of yourself online

Also don't bring your phone with you, or at least turn it off or put it in plane mode.

[–] Yeller_king@reddthat.com 4 points 1 day ago

But isn't the whole point to get Internet clout?

Kids ate alright, just got to protect themselves

[–] arbilp3@aussie.zone 9 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Sure, but best not to do illegal shit. However, if you are doing performative illegal shit because you feel angry with some aspects of an institution(s) you find questionable, perhaps find someone to give the reasons for your speedrunning or whatever you're performing otherwise you might end up with a criminal record and that's going to stuff up your life choices a bit.

[–] Soapbox@lemmy.zip 7 points 1 day ago (2 children)

If you are going to have a criminal record, "tormenting the church of scientology" is a pretty respectable thing to have on it. I would be more inclined to hire someone who did that.

[–] arbilp3@aussie.zone 4 points 18 hours ago

Personally I agree with you but not everyone thinks the same. There are also other matters to consider like whether you are a repeat offender, the age the offence was committed, etc. In the current authoritarian climate we need to warn kids not to stop protesting and pranking but to think how they're doing it so it doesn't become self-harming.

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 0 points 16 hours ago

true, as would it, however there are regulatory bullshits to consider. if somehow the financial industry makes tormenting the church of scientology a crime they can't tolerate for, i don't know, reasons that have absolutely positively nothing to do with shelley miscavige's conspicuously missing skull, maybe you don't want to work in the financial industry.

[–] MalReynolds@slrpnk.net 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The reason is (mostly?) lolz.

Which is far from evil here. At least mask up or whatever to the point of not being (facial recognition + legally) identifiable before posting to your social media about someone who isn't me (SWIM). As per OP, opsec, learn to love it or learn regrets.

[–] arbilp3@aussie.zone 3 points 1 day ago

Yes, i agree it's not evil. They're kids. It's the melding of cyber reality with physical reality together with the illegal action that makes me a bit nervous.

Where is all the footage from those 200 teens?

[–] null@lemmy.org 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It's good to know that protesting the Cult of Scientology hasn't gone out of fashion.

[–] taygaloocat@leminal.space 1 points 1 day ago

I don't think they're protesting. They're just following a trend which I guess at least draws attention to it.