Scientology speedruns are legitimate — and hilarious — protests, not hate crimes
Published By admin
Jesus Christ. Naruto. Gru and his minions. All raiding a building full of people in tight suit vests. No, this isn’t a fever dream, but rather an online trend where groups of teenagers film themselves running through Church of Scientology property.
What was initially a collaboration between TikTok users @isDurppy and @Swhileyy attempting the first Scientology speedrun escalated into videos of hundreds of teenagers attempting to infiltrate Scientology buildings in just a matter of weeks. Although teenage hooliganism is typically condemned and criticized by the public — especially when it impacts religious organizations — these speedruns act as a legitimate form of protest against religious abuse. They should be considered a form of civil disobedience and a sign of Generation Z’s growing interest in activism and treated as a framework for our generation’s social movements.
The Church of Scientology was founded in the early 1950s by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard. Denying the validity of mainstream psychiatric practices, the ultimate goal for a Scientologist is to reach a state called Clear, an arduous process that requires secretive teachings only available to those who have participated for years and have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for Scientology courses.
Beyond this obvious financial exploitation, the organization is controversial for supposedly abusing its members physically and emotionally. In 2022, three former Scientology members filed a lawsuit against the organization, alleging human trafficking and forced labor practices. The members claimed the organization committed “systematic physical, sexual, and emotional abuse” against them while they worked aboard cruise ships and in labor camps. They argued the organization indebted and threatened them into staying. Multiple deaths are also allegedly tied to refusal of psychiatric care, while prominent members often disappear.
Hubbard previously detailed policies for attacking critics, stating that enemies of the church, called “Suppressive Persons,” can be “deprived of property or injured by any means” and can be “tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed.”
This ideology translated into journalists and prominent critics of the organization being subject to intimidation through lawsuits, stalking, and doxxing. But what happens when thousands of critics show up at the Church’s doors?
Scientology, meet TikTok, the Church’s most “Suppressive Person” thus far and a platform for silly videos that Gen Z has strategically used to mobilize protests called speedruns.
Speedrunning is a term from the gaming community referring to when players attempt to finish a part of a video game in a set amount of time. This has translated into groups of mostly teens and young adults filming themselves attempting to get as deep as they can into Scientology information centers, headquarters, and commercial buildings as quickly as possible, much to the annoyance and frustration of Scientologists.
Read the full article at the link below
Content retrieved from: https://ucsdguardian.org/2026/05/18/scientology-speedruns-are-legitimate-and-hilarious-protests-not-hate-crimes/.
