The Church of Scientology has drawn the ire of locals and university students after shutting down an entire city block to open its new ‘ideal branch’ in Chicago.
The South Loop grand opening ceremony saw ‘thousands of followers’ block access to an entire block of South Clark Street on Sunday.
“While before that Windy City tape comes down, this is also the time to recognize what you already know, how just as Chicago was once reborn, today there is room for a new beginning,” said controversial leader David Miscavige to the audience outside. the brick building at 650 South Clark Street.
“And thus space to give individuals the opportunity to live a better life, in their own discretion and with their fellows, and to play a better game,” he said at the building’s opening.
The opening sparked backlash from some students at Colombia College, which has a residence hall next to the new building.
Controversial leader David Miscavige greeted crowds at the building’s opening on Sunday
The large ceremony in the South Loop blocked access to an entire block of South Clark Street
Musicians performed outside the brick building at 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 all these tables set up in front of our dorm with their free stress tests and they were auditing for students, which was always kind of weird,” she explained.
‘When they first started setting up on Saturday, they had all these tables set up again, saying, ‘Hey Columbia, thank you for being our new neighbours’.
‘They were giving out free donuts and stuff and it was just a weird taste in my mouth about it. It is very clear what they are 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 blocked from our building and 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 spokeswoman 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 voiced their concerns
A Church spokesman said the new facility is being called an ‘Ideal Church of Scientology’
The new building provides the ‘ideal facilities to service Scientologists on their ascent to greater states of spiritual awareness and freedom’
City Councilman Bill Ward told the Tribune his office had received a few dozen complaints after Sunday’s event.
Conway told the publication that he spoke with church leaders and told them that future permits will face ‘significant scrutiny’ because of the complaints.
“They said, ‘This was our grand opening, we’re not really planning any more of these,’ so it was kind of a one-time event,” he said.
Adding: ‘We will do everything we can to ensure that the community maintains access to everything and that everyone is safe.’
Bari Berger, a spokesman for the Church said the new facility is called an ‘Ideal Church of Scientology’ because it provides the ‘ideal facilities to service Scientologists on their ascent to greater states of spiritual awareness and freedom.’
‘The church is excited to be open. We have had an avalanche of good wishes welcoming us into 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 70s 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 joint effort to lift this great city.’
Adds that the church followed instructions from the city and the police and ‘went out of our way to ensure that all those with apartments or businesses on the street had access during the street closure.’
The Church of Scientology has attracted 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 with force, violence or fear of bodily harm.
After Masterson’s conviction for the two rapes, he was kicked out of the Church of Scientology and declared a ‘suppressive person’ – or an ‘SP’ – which the church defines as someone whose behavior seeks to impede the spiritual progress of those around him.