‘Scientology speedrun’ TikTok trend lands Sydney and Brisbane teens in hot water with police

A pair of teenagers have landed themselves in hot water while participating in a viral TikTok trend that involves the wilful trespass of Church of Scientology buildings.

The “Scientology Speedrun” trend began in the US late last month with a series of videos featuring groups of teenage boys deliberately rushing security at Scientology churches.

On Saturday, both the Sydney and Brisbane Scientology buildings became surrounded by young people, mostly teenagers, demanding access to the building.

According to NSW police, officers responded to a large gathering of “about 100 young people” out the front of the Sydney Church of Scientology on Castlereagh St about 1.30pm.

“Officers attached to Sydney City Police Area Command attended along with the public order riot squad and assisted in dispersing the group,” a police spokesman said.

wild footage of dozens of young people trying to storm the Brisbane Church of Scientology has emerged online

“A 19-year-old woman and 17-year-old girl were arrested for failing to comply with a police direction. The 19-year-old woman was issued a criminal infringement notice for failing to comply with a police direction,” he said.

The 17-year-old was not charged.

In Brisbane, similar antics were taking place on George St in the CBD, where a 15-year-old from Varsity Lakes and an 18-year-old man from Deception Bay were slapped with charges.

The 15-year-old was charged with one count of unlawful entry of a vehicle, and the 18-year-old was charged with public nuisance, driving a vehicle carelessly and failing to wear a helmet.

Footage of the incident shows the teenagers hopping into the open driver’s-side door of a Queensland Police Service sedan and grabbing onto the steering wheel before quickly hopping out.

Other footage taken at the scene shows a person riding a BMX bike over the top of the same vehicle.

No one was able to gain entry to the Scientology building.

The trend began when a small band of teenagers began filming themselves trespassing at the Hollywood Church of Scientology Information Centre in Los Angeles in late March.

Two teens, who had each filmed themselves entering the building on separate occasions and causing general havoc, elected to collaborate on a joint video and rush as far into the depths of the building as they could.

The video, which was viewed more than 90 million times before it was taken down, spawned copycat efforts at Scientology buildings across the US.

TikTok users began treating the “speedruns” as a gradual effort to physically chart a map of the inside of the LA Scientology Information Centre that would be updated each time a group of trespassers got further into the building than the last group.

The Church of Scientology is a notoriously secretive religious group that has been characterised as “cult-like” by investigative reporters and ex-members.

The church has been contacted for comment.