Cult Observer Archives

The Cult Observer

February/March 1985

Jonestown Demo in Tampa

From the St. Petersburg Times

November 1984

On the sixth anniversary of the People’s Temple massacre at Jonestown, members of the Tampa Bay (FL) chapter of Citizens Freedom Foundations staged a demonstration in downtown St. Petersburg "to warn the public about the dangers of destructive mind-control cults." They carried placards reading "Teach kids about cults." "No more money for cults," and "Remember Jonestown, do not forget 914 lives." They also passed out leaflets and told of their own encounters with such groups.

Among the participants were Bob Safransky, a former member of the Crossroads Church of Christ and his father, Robert, and Terry Prueher, who was involved in Scientology for eight years. Mrs. Joan Capellini, president of the Tampa Bay CFF chapter, whose son was a Unification Church member until he was deprogrammed in 1978, said the demonstration in memory of the Jonestown victims was intended to remind people "that things like this are still happening." She expressed concern about the growing problem of fundamentalist Christian groups which are "very close to mainline religions" but which adopt cult techniques.