The CCHR is widely regarded by anti-cult activists as a front group for the Church of Scientology, a religion established by the late science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. Hospitals are not usually the targets of demonstrations.
Health care is a controversial subject, but community anger is usually centred on funding issues.
They were protesting the establishment of a centre for psychosurgery at the hospital. Psychosurgery is a specialised operation that involves cutting into the brain tissue to relieve the psychological problems of the patient. A hospital spokesperson told the Big Issue that there was 'no demand' for psychosurgery. There have been a handful of cases over the decades,' she said. CCHR spokesperson Pauline Priest said that they were 'quite outraged to find that this was still happening here in Melbourne when everywhere else in Australia it's been abolished.