Starting an Anonymous group.

You've done you research and have decided that you want to take part in Project Chanology. But, unfortunately, there are no Anonymous groups in your area. What do you do then? Simple - you apply the time honoured Anonymous creed of "Do It Faggot" and start one. The following is intended as advice for how to go about setting up a group, how to stay legally compliant, how to protect yourself from cult harassment and how to get the word out.

Important: If you found a cell, please post a planning thread for your first protest on on WhyWeProtest.net using the standard format so that others can find it easily.

Protecting yourself from cult harassment.

Concealing your identity and remaining anonymous is paramount. Before you begin organizing your area, be sure to establish an anonymous email address so that you can be contacted anonymously. Do not register for any anonymous websites or engage in any Chanology activities using your real email address, facebook, my space, OkCupid or any other online forum that can be linked back to your real identity. Gmail, hotmail, yahoo and many other companies offer free online email service, most of which can be set up to forward to your real email if you so desire.

At IRL demonstrations be sure to cover your face, particularly the lower half. Distinctive hair stylings, scars, or tattoos should also be covered to the best of your ability. A scarf and/or mask at your protests can accomplish this, but be sure to check that this is permitted under your local laws. Some jurisdictions, like Germany, prohibit masked demonstrations. In such situations it is necessary to make contact with local law enforcement to educate them about the cult's fair game policy. In Germany, Anonymous protesters were granted an exemption from this law after the local anons successfully demonstrated the need to be masked.

Never give out your personal information. The only exception to this is when asked to do so by a member of law enforcement, but in this case always ask the officer in question to relocate to a place out of cult earshot. There is no other reason for you to share your personal information - not even to a fellow anonymous.

If possible always try to take public transport when attending protests. Doing so will prevent your number plate from being used to identify you.

Always, ALWAYS have cameras in your group. These are a deterrent to Scientology agitators and may prove useful if you need to corroborate you side of the story if law enforcement get involved. If you don't have a camera then get one. This cannot be stressed enough - ALWAYS HAVE A CAMERA ON HAND AT ANY PROTESTS OR DEMONSTRATIONS.

More tips on remaining anonymous and staying safe from the cult can be found on whyweprotest.net.

Get a forum and/or website.

Forums are the lifeblood of Project Chanology. They are where planning takes place, where ideas are discussed and evaluated, where information is shared. In short, if your group doesn't have a forum then get one. WhyWeProtest.net has forums designed for global coordination between groups and is an excellent place to begin, however most anonymous groups benefit greatly from having a decentralized website or forum where they can concentrate on local matters without the need to sift through the massive amount of information available on why we protest.

There are plenty of sites out there that allow you to set up a free forum. http://www.ning.com/ is particularly good and very easy to use. Some examples of what you can do with nings include Hamburg, Ireland and Marcab. Other options for decentralized websites include wikis and message boards.

More great ideas for starting your website are available at whyweprotest.net.

Find out your local laws.

A large portion of Project Chanology is about informing the public about the dangers of the Scientology enterprise in order to starve it of new recruits. Two of the most common methods of doing this include distributing informational flyers and organising demonstrations and protests. Different countries and/or states have different bylaws governing those activities and it is imperative that you learn which laws are relevant to your locality. Contacting your local council and law enforcement is an absolute must to ensure you protests and/or flyering remain compliant within the law. Some jurisdictions may require permits and these should be gotten in a timely manner for your events.

If in doubt on any matter of law then get in contact with your local law enforcement officials. Having good relations with law enforcement can help your activities proceed smoothly. Good relations and constant communication will also help you when the cult start fabricating claims against you (and they will). How well you liaison with your local law enforcement and city councils will have a direct effect on how well your protests and flyering goes.

Recruiting numbers.

Hitting up your local internet forums to spread the word is a good idea. Posters and leafleting also work. Dropping YFTC (instructions here) is also an idea. You may discover in the process of advertising your new group that you were mistaken in your earlier assumptions and there is an active anonymous cell in your area after all. This is not a catastrophe. Make contact with your local group and discuss whether you will merge with them or continue working on your own to gather more members. There is no reason why several anonymous groups should not be operating in the same area, although it is strongly advisable to maintain some level of contact between groups in such a situation.