{"id":759937,"date":"2026-04-28T22:30:22","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T22:30:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/759937\/"},"modified":"2026-04-28T22:30:22","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T22:30:22","slug":"scientology-speedrun-tiktok-trend-has-teens-mapping-hollywood-buildings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/759937\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientology ‘speedrun’ TikTok trend has teens mapping Hollywood buildings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is known for its colorful cast of characters. But even by those standards, the scenes of Jesus Christ and Sonic the Hedgehog racing past security guards employed by the Church of Scientology in recent days were a little bizarre. <\/p>\n

On Saturday afternoon, someone dressed as the Christian messiah was among the dozens of people in costumes and masks seen on a video forcing open the door of a Scientology building<\/a> on Hollywood Boulevard after a tug-of-war with a security guard. The footage posted on TikTok and Instagram shows the group sprinting up and down stairs and clashing with black-shirted security guards, giggling and gasping to catch their breath while church members scream at them to leave. <\/p>\n

On their way out \u2014 as security guards approach armed with fire extinguishers \u2014 one of the sprinters stops and dances to celebrate their successful escape, a move reminiscent of a taunt from the video game Fortnite.<\/p>\n

For weeks, groups of people have barged into two of the church\u2019s Hollywood properties, racing through hallways and tussling with security guards, trying to see how far they can get before they are forced to leave by church staff. They call it \u201cspeed running,\u201d slang for trying to beat a video game as quickly as possible, scurrying around hazards and taking shortcuts to skip through levels. <\/p>\n

Those posting and commenting on the content online treat the events like real-life gaming, musing about facing off with famous Scientology figures in a \u201cboss fight\u201d and referring to each new area of a Scientology property seen on a run as a step toward unlocking parts of a level map.<\/p>\n

Church officials say the incidents are not a game and have accused the speed runners of \u201chate crimes.\u201d <\/p>\n

After dozens on Saturday stormed the Ivar Avenue building that houses an exhibit dedicated to the church\u2019s founder, science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, the external door handles were removed from all three of Scientology\u2019s properties on Hollywood Boulevard by Sunday morning. Guards could be seen blocking the doorway to one building on Monday afternoon. <\/p>\n

\"he <\/p>\n

The Church of Scientology of Los Angeles at 4810 Sunset Blvd. on Feb. 7, 2024.<\/p>\n

(Dania Maxwell \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

\u201cThese incidents are not \u2018speed running.\u2019 They are organized trespasses into religious and public information facilities for social media attention,\u201d Scientology spokesman David Bloomberg said in a statement. \u201cOver recent weeks, individuals have repeatedly forced their way into Church properties on Hollywood Boulevard, disrupted religious and public facilities, damaged Church property, and endangered staff, parishioners and visitors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bloomberg said several staff members were \u201cknocked down in the chaos\u201d on Saturday. He declined to offer specifics about updates to the church\u2019s security measures. <\/p>\n

An LAPD spokesperson said police have received five reports of trespassing incidents at Scientology\u2019s Hollywood properties this year. All occurred at either the Hubbard exhibit or the church\u2019s information center at Hollywood Boulevard and McCadden Place, police said. Only two of those incidents resembled a \u201cso-called speed running attempt,\u201d according to the LAPD spokesman. <\/p>\n

No arrests have been made and no injuries have been reported. After the large-scale incident on Saturday, the LAPD\u2019s Major Crimes Division was tasked with investigating the \u201cincident as an alleged hate crime.\u201d Detectives \u201chave not identified any connection\u201d between the incident last weekend and prior trespassing episodes, according to the spokesman.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe LAPD remains committed to ensuring the safety of all houses of worship in Los Angeles,\u201d the department said in a statement. <\/p>\n

A person involved in the most recent \u201cspeed run,\u201d who spoke to The Times on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal from both the Church and LAPD, said the events were \u201ca mix of exposure, prank and activism.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me personally, it\u2019s about raising awareness, getting people to ask questions, and of course, love of the game lol,\u201d the person said in a message. \u201cI enjoy questioning authority and shining light on things people usually don\u2019t look into.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The Church of Scientology of Los Angeles at 6331 Hollywood Blvd. on Feb. 7, 2024.<\/p>\n

(Dania Maxwell \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

The incidents have split anti-Scientology activists. Some former members believe the runs are an effective form of protest against an organization that has been accused in lawsuits of sex abuse, violating child labor laws and forcing members to get abortions. The church has denied wrongdoing in all cases. In 2018, a woman who accused the Church of Scientology of forcing her to have an abortion settled a lawsuit over the matter; the organization denied the allegations. <\/p>\n

Prominent Scientologist Danny Masterson was convicted in 2023 of sexually assaulting two fellow church members in Los Angeles,<\/a> during a trial where it was alleged that church policies barred his victims from reporting him to police decades earlier. Church officials were also accused of trying to \u201cderail\u201d the case against Masterson<\/a> by harassing one of the prosecutors assigned to the case. <\/p>\n

The church has previously denied having any policy limiting members from reporting crimes and called the allegations regarding the prosecutor on the Masterson case \u201ccategorically false.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat everyday citizens do to troll Scientology and get viral views on TikTok … are the only things being done to make Scientology uncomfortable and to turn them into a joke so that new people don\u2019t get trapped by them,\u201d said ex-Scientologist Jenna Miscavage, the niece of the church\u2019s leader, David Miscavage. \u201cI for one very much appreciate it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u201cspeed runner\u201d who spoke to The Times said allegations against the church and its reputation for secrecy, in part, motivated the attention-grabbing \u201craids\u201d on church buildings. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what this is about for me and others \u2014 applying pressure, demanding transparency and pushing for answers,\u201d the person said.<\/p>\n

The church spokesman said turning Scientology properties into \u201ctargets for viral stunts is not journalism, protest or civic activity. It is trespass, harassment and disruption of religious facilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Actress Leah Remini, a former church member who became an outspoken activist and is locked in a heated legal battle with the organization,<\/a> said last week in a post on X that she feared the \u201cspeed running\u201d trend would backfire. <\/p>\n

\u201cI want as many people as possible talking about the dangers and criminality of Scientology,\u201d she wrote.<\/a> \u201cBut I spent decades on the other side of this, and if I had been confronted by people running through Scientology buildings and harassing me or staff, it would have pushed me further into Scientology.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian Levin, professor emeritus at Cal State San Bernardino and founder of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, wondered if people would react differently if such actions were carried out at a more traditional house of worship \u2014 a Christian church, Jewish temple or Islamic mosque. <\/p>\n

Levin said it was \u201cextraordinarily troubling\u201d to see people \u201cinvading\u201d religious centers for the sake of creating a viral moment. <\/p>\n

\u201cOne doesn\u2019t have the right to express themselves in a violent way, that invades someone else\u2019s place of tranquility,\u201d he said. \u201cI could care less what the faith is.\u201d<\/p>\n

There were 16 reported instances of hate crimes committed against Scientologists in 2024, according to a report generated by the L.A. County Commission on Human Relations. That made them the third-most targeted religious group in the county, behind only people of Muslim and Jewish faith, the report said. <\/p>\n

Some of the recent videos show the runners bumping into security guards and shoving past church staff, then leaving after being cornered and told to get off the property. <\/p>\n

Levin, who is also a former police officer, said it is possible those colliding with security guards could be charged with battery.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnyone that does this is not only doing a vile thing, they\u2019re really putting themselves at extraordinary [legal] risk,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The stepped-up security at Scientology buildings appeared to dissuade three teens who approached the building while a Times reporter observed a Hollywood location on Sunday afternoon. The trio pulled up on e-bikes, drove up to the entrance of the Information Center and began shouting and taking pictures, pausing to take drags off a vape while peering through the shuttered doors. They drove off down an alley when guards appeared. <\/p>\n

William Gude, a Hollywood resident and outspoken critic of Scientology who runs the \u201cFilm The Police L.A.\u201d account on social media, said that while he didn\u2019t condone law breaking, it was clear the disruptions were impacting the church\u2019s operations. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s complicated and its not something I would condone \u2026 but the more attention that Scientology gets, the worse it is for Scientology,\u201d he said. \u201cThey operate on secrecy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Times staff writer Ruben Vives contributed to this report. <\/p>\n