A mob of rowdy teens stormed a Big Apple Scientology church Saturday afternoon, trashing the property and injuring a security guard amid a nation-wide rash of similar viral social media stunts, police and sources said.
About 50 unruly youths barreled through the side door of the Church of Scientology of New York — which sits just off Times Square on West 46th Street — at around 4:24 p.m., damaging the premises, according to the NYPD and law enforcement sources.
They also kicked a 30-year-old man believed to be a security guard, who was walloped in the leg and sustained minor injuries.
The rabble-rousers later fled the church in all directions, police said.
No arrests have been made as the investigation continues.
Church of Scientology officials did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment, and workers at the building declined to comment.
The Midtown incident comes as a bizarre new TikTok trend — dubbed “Scientology speed running” — has seen thrill-seeking influencers and troublemakers filming themselves charging into properties owned or tied to the Church of Scientology since early April.
The reckless social media craze, erupting across Los Angeles, has sparked security fears for the church, which teaches followers that humans are immortal spiritual beings called “thetans” with limitless power.
The religion, founded in the 1950s by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, is built on a system of beliefs, teachings, and rituals focused on spiritual betterment, with his book “Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health” serving as its foundational text.
Hollywood has long fueled the church’s visibility, largely due to high-profile members like actors Tom Cruise and John Travolta, who have served as its most recognizable public supporters.
Other well-known members of the church have included actresses Elisabeth Moss, Catherine Bell, Jenna Elfman, and Nancy Cartwright, best known as the voice of Bart Simpson on “The Simpsons.”
Read the full article here
