Scientology ‘speed running’ trend has Hollywood abuzz and church unhappy

On any given day, Los Angeles’s Hollywood Boulevard teems with tourists and street performers clustered near the area’s many landmarks. But in recent months, the strip has been set abuzz for a new reason.

Throngs of mostly adolescent boys and young men have been rushing the Church of Scientology’s international headquarters on the famed street.

The so-called “speed runs” appear to be bids for social media valor – clips of the raids have amassed millions of views on TikTok – as much as they are an outgrowth of public intrigue surrounding the church, which has previously drawn accusations of being a cult. Some users have developed blueprints for the building based on information gathered from videos of the raids.

The church issued a Wednesday statement to the Guardian about a “large-scale incident” on Saturday, during which “dozens of individuals” forced their way into its facilities, knocking down staff members in the process.

“These are peaceful spaces designed to welcome parishioners, visitors and members of the public. Turning them into targets for viral stunts is not journalism, protest or civic activity. It is trespass, harassment and disruption of religious facilities,” the church wrote.

Church officials said they are “reviewing all available remedies” and have made reports to law enforcement. At least one staff member has sustained injuries that required medical attention from the incidents, spokesperson David Bloomberg said.

Los Angeles police have received five reports of trespassing incidents – two of which appeared correlated to speed-running attempts, according to the Los Angeles Times.

No arrests have been made, an LAPD spokesperson told the Guardian.

An 18-year-old content creator with the handle Swhileyy appears to have initiated the trend. In March he posted an Instagram video, which has since been removed, showing himself breaching the property. Swhileyy said he heard of the church through Streets LA, a TikTok account with over 330,00 followers.

Swhileyy, who has not been publicly identified, has distanced himself from the trend.

“I do not condone what I did, even though I didn’t break any laws,” he told the Hollywood Reporter. “I never once in any video or any comment section or anywhere promoted the idea of running through there or beating my record.”

Scientology, founded by sci-fi writer L Ron Hubbard in the 1950s, has been the subject of fierce scrutiny and public speculation. Many celebrities, including Tom Cruise and John Travolta, belong to the church, which has an outsize presence in Los Angeles.

Defectors, including the actor Leah Remini, have accused the church of fostering a culture of abuse.

Last week, Remini weighed in on the social media trend, calling it “unhelpful”.