(Associated Press) Police arrested several dozen people and fired non-lethal projectiles to disperse an unruly crowd on Saturday after a dueling protest over transgender rights at a Los Angeles spa turned violent.
The protests stemmed from a video that circulated online earlier this month, in which an irate customer complained to the staff at Wi Spa about a transgender woman’s exposed genitalia in the women’s section of the spa.
The video sparked controversy after the spa defended its policy of allowing transgender customers in its facilities, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Police declared an unlawful assembly in front of the spa in Koreatown around 11 a.m. when demonstrators against transgender access to the spa’s facilities clashed with counter protesters and some in the crowd threw smoke bombs and other objects at officers, Det. Meghan Aguilar, a spokeswoman for the LAPD, said.
Video posted on Twitter shows officers in riot gear hitting protesters with batons and firing bean bag rounds and other projectiles. At one point, a woman was hit in the abdomen, causing her to fall to the ground.
Several dozen people were arrested for ignoring orders to disperse, and police found stun guns, knives and pepper spray discarded on the street, police later said.
Aguilar didn’t have an immediate arrest count because authorities were still processing the people who were arrested and screening to see if anyone needed medical treatment.
She said no officer was injured and no protester was transported to hospitals.
Los Angeles: Police beat back antifa after they hurled projectiles at the officers. Antifa gathered today to again oppose a group of conservatives protesting the WiSpa where a person allegedly exposed their penis to women & girls. pic.twitter.com/xGmPAPTkSh
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) July 17, 2021
“You’re not from here whitey”
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) July 18, 2021
“F— around and find out.”
Antifa racially abused & threatened press at the violent protest in Los Angeles yesterday. Video by @DrewHLive: pic.twitter.com/wCjcE0Bnel
LAPD officer responds with less than lethal munitions against a black bloc rioter who sprayed what appears to be silly string at the officer pic.twitter.com/rKzQO6qapk
— Elad Eliahu (@elaadeliahu) July 18, 2021
“Antifa’s gonna kill you, bitch.”
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) July 18, 2021
An antifa member verbally threatens to kill at the violent protest in Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/VNMIZZiuNI
Antifa member gets clubbed by an LAPD officer after pulling down his/her mask and spitting in the faces of the cops. Video by @DrewHLive: pic.twitter.com/tQLeKOMYUu
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) July 18, 2021