Scientology 'Speed Running' Hits Another State

The TikTok trend seeing youths race through Scientology buildings has gone coast to coast, with the latest incident unfolding in midtown Manhattan on Saturday. A group of youths forced open a locked door at the West 36th Street location, hurled objects, damaged property, and injured a staff member while a seminar was under way, the church says, per the Guardian; another staffer was reportedly subjected to a racial slur. The church says it is working with New York police, though no arrests have been made. The incident follows mass entries at Scientology's Hollywood headquarters, prompting reports to law enforcement.

The episodes are part of a social media trend dubbed "speed running," in which mostly young people rush through Scientology facilities while filming. The 18-year-old content creator credited with sparking the trend and prominent Scientology critic Leah Remini have both urged people to stop, with Remini arguing the chaos only reinforces members' fears about outsiders. The church says it "welcomes lawful visitors" but not "individuals forcing entry, damaging property, threatening or injuring people, or targeting religious facilities for online attention." It claims the staffer injured Saturday required medical attention, per NBC News. Police say a 30-year-old male was "kicked in the leg" and was not hospitalized.