The word “cult” is banned in the city of London, and The Guardian reports that London cops are cozy with the Scientologists and civil rights activists are frothing mad.

Officers confiscated a placard with the word “cult” on it from the youth, who is under 18, and a case file has been sent to the Crown Prosecution Service….

The teenager refused to back down quoting a 1984 high court ruling from Mr Justice Latey, in which he described the Church of Scientology as a “cult” which was “corrupt, sinister and dangerous”.

After the exchange, a policewoman handed him a court summons and removed his sign….

The City of London Police, who issued the summons, came under fire two years ago when it emerged that more than 20 officers, ranging from constable to chief superintendent, had accepted gifts worth thousands of pounds from the Church of Scientology.

City of London police chief superintendent, Kevin Hurley, praised Scientology for “raising the spiritual wealth of society” during the opening of its £23m headquarters near St Paul’s Cathedral in 2006….

The decision by City of London Police to issue the summons provoked anger from civil liberties campaigners and groups helping former cult members.

Liberty director, Shami Chakrabarti, said: “This barmy prosecution makes a mockery of Britain’s free speech traditions.

“After criminalising the use of the word ‘cult’, perhaps the next step is to ban the words ‘war’ and ‘tax’ from peaceful demonstrations?”

EDIT: This is currently the top story in all topics on digg. And it’s on Gawker. Entheta press ahoy!

EDIT 2: The Register.

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