Ima, if someone said “Scientology speedrun” to me I would think about Tom Cruise in tight shorts. But that is not what is happening, is it?

Not quite, Cait. The Scientology speedrun appears to have spawned in March when content creator Swhileyy filmed himself rushing the Church of Scientology on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. That video gained 90m views before it was deleted.

Since then, groups of mostly young men have documented themselves charging into the LA centre, pulling in millions of views on TikTok. The unofficial goal: see how far inside the building you can get.

It has escalated quickly. Some users have started mapping out blueprints of the building based on videos of the raids.

Others have taken a more avant garde approach, storming the lobby dressed as Jesus or Minions demanding to see Tom Cruise. To obscure their identities, speedrunners generally wear face coverings, cat masks or even full dinosaur costumes.

So it started in LA, but now people are doing it in Australia. Why are people doing this?

I can’t speak for the speedrunners themselves, but it largely comes down to a mix of public intrigue and the internet’s appetite for absurdity.

Scientology, founded by American author L Ron Hubbard in the 1950s, has long drawn accusations of being a high-control group or cult, which the church has strenuously denied. Combine that with the reality that extreme public pranks practically guarantee social media engagement and you’ve got a recipe for virality.

We’ve already seen the global expansion of these speedruns to the UK, where hundreds of teenagers attempted to rush Scientology buildings at various locations. Now, the trend has reached Australian shores.

On Saturday, Sydney and Brisbane Scientology buildings were surrounded by a group of mostly young people, demanding access to the building.

In Sydney, “a crowd of about 100 young people” gathered outside the church on Castlereagh Street at about 1.30pm, according to New South Wales police. A police spokesperson said officers including members of the riot squad dispersed the group. A 19-year-old woman and a 17-year-old girl were arrested for failing to comply with police directions.

A similar crowd targeted the Brisbane Scientology building on George Street in the CBD. According to Queensland police, one teenager jumped into the driver’s side of a police car before quickly hopping out, while another rode a BMX bike over the roof of the same vehicle. Two teenagers, aged 15 and 18, were charged.

Despite the disruption, neither the Sydney nor the Brisbane group actually made it inside the buildings to fulfil their speedrunning goals.

There were whispers of it happening in South Australia. “I saw three kids acting over-excited out the front of there yesterday,” one Reddit user commented under a thread about a potential Adelaide Scientology speedrun. Another said: “TikTok trends usually annoy the shit out of me, but I’ve gotta hand it to the kids on this one.”

I see. But is Scientology even that big in Australia?

In terms of presence, sure. In terms of actual number’s, it’s unclear.

Scientology has an outsized presence in Los Angeles, with celebrity adherents including Tom Cruise and John Travolta, but its reach extends globally.

In Australia, the church has established sprawling facilities in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Canberra.

High-profile Australian members include singer Kate Ceberano, whose grandparents raised their family as Scientologists.

Former members of the church don’t seem to be impressed – what is the go with that?

Defectors, including the actor Leah Remini, have accused the church of fostering a culture of abuse. Remini weighed in on the social media trend, calling it “unhelpful”. Remini wrote on X that “running through a Scientology building” only confirms the church’s narrative that the outside world is dangerous, leading members to double down on their beliefs.

“Please focus on exposing the dangers of Scientology, not making a spectacle out of it.”

Alexander Barnes Ross, who has led protests against Scientology in the UK, was concerned the speedruns trivialised serious advocacy.

“There is nothing funny about Scientology. This is a dangerous, harmful organisation,” he said, adding that forced entries undermine legitimate protest efforts.

What has the Church of Scientology said about it?

In a statement to Guardian Australia, the church said “individuals have repeatedly forced their way into Church properties, disrupted religious and public facilities, damaged Church property, and endangered staff, parishioners and visitors”.

“During one large-scale incident, dozens of individuals rushed into buildings without permission. Staff members were knocked down in the chaos, and the Church is reviewing all available remedies to protect its personnel, visitors and property,” the statement said.

“Church facilities are peaceful spaces designed to welcome parishioners, visitors and members of the public. Turning them into targets for viral stunts is not journalism, protest or civic activity.”

The statement said the church had reported the incidents to law enforcement and increased security, saying that “a house of worship and public information facilities have been repeatedly targeted by people seeking internet attention”.

“The Church welcomes lawful visitors. It does not welcome mobs forcing entry, damaging property, disrupting religious spaces or endangering people for views,” the statement said.