Scientology church buildings forced to upgrade security as TikTok trend reaches Australia

The Church of Scientology has been forced to upgrade its security across buildings in Australia following a bizarre string of attempted trespass events led mostly by groups of teenagers.

The “Scientology Speedrun” TikTok trend began in the US late last month with a series of videos featuring groups of teenage boys deliberately rushing security at Scientology churches.

On Saturday, both the Sydney and Brisbane Scientology buildings became surrounded by young people, mostly teenagers, demanding access to the building.

According to NSW police, officers responded to a large gathering of “about 100 young people” out the front of the Sydney Church of Scientology on Castlereagh St about 1.30pm.

“Officers attached to Sydney City Police Area Command attended along with the public order riot squad and assisted in dispersing the group,” a police spokesman said.

wild footage of dozens of young people trying to storm the Brisbane Church of Scientology has emerged online

“A 19-year-old woman and 17-year-old girl were arrested for failing to comply with a police direction. The 19-year-old woman was issued a criminal infringement notice for failing to comply with a police direction,” he said.

The 17-year-old was not charged.

In Brisbane, similar antics were taking place on George St in the CBD, where a 15-year-old from Varsity Lakes and an 18-year-old man from Deception Bay were slapped with charges.

The 15-year-old was charged with one count of unlawful entry of a vehicle, and the 18-year-old was charged with public nuisance, driving a vehicle carelessly and failing to wear a helmet.

Footage of the incident shows the teenagers hopping into the open driver’s-side door of a Queensland Police Service sedan and grabbing onto the steering wheel before quickly hopping out.

Other footage taken at the scene shows a person riding a BMX bike over the top of the same vehicle.

No one was able to gain entry to the Scientology building.

The trend began when a small band of teenagers began filming themselves trespassing at the Hollywood Church of Scientology Information Centre in Los Angeles in late March.

Two teens, who had each filmed themselves entering the building on separate occasions and causing general havoc, elected to collaborate on a joint video and rush as far into the depths of the building as they could.

The video, which was viewed more than 90 million times before it was taken down, spawned copycat efforts at Scientology buildings across the US.

A Church of Scientology spokesman said the organisation had been forced into taking “additional security measures” to protect staff and visitors because of the trend.

The spokesman said individuals had “repeatedly forced their way into church properties, disrupted religious and public facilities, damaged church property and endangered staff, parishioners and visitors”.

“During one large-scaled incident, dozens of individuals rushed into buildings without permission. Staff members were knocked down in the chaos, and the church is reviewing all available remedies to its personnel, visitors and property,” the spokesman said.

“In response to the escalation, the church has taken additional security measures to protect staff, visitors, parishioners and religious sites.

“Those measures are not the story. The story is that a house of worship and public information facilities have been repeatedly targeted by people seeking internet attention.

“The church welcomes lawful visitors. It does not welcome mobs forcing entry, damaging property, disrupting religious spaces or endangering people for views.”

The Church of Scientology is a notoriously secretive religious group that has been characterised as “cult-like” by investigative reporters and ex-members.