A viral “speedrun” challenge through Church of Scientology buildings has officially gone international, one day after the trend spread coast-to-coast for the first time in the United States.
On May 3, a group of some 300 people gathered outside a Church of Scientology facility in Vancouver, Canada, CBC reported. While the front door was locked and no one entered the building, it did mark the first time the viral “Scientology Speedrun” challenge had been brought to a city outside the United States.
Back stateside, the viral trend had been exclusively relegated to Los Angeles before this weekend. But that all changed May 2, when a group allegedly broke a door to enter the church’s Manhattan building. According to Fox News, some of the individuals threw objects and damaged property, resulting in an injury to a staff member.
In a statement shared with USA TODAY, Scientology spokesperson David Bloomberg said, “Church facilities are peaceful spaces designed to welcome parishioners, visitors and members of the public.” He added, “Turning them into targets for viral stunts is not journalism, protest or civic activity. It is trespass, harassment and disruption of religious facilities.”
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