Unlawful Assembly Declared As Violence Erupts Over Trans Rights Outside Koreatown Spa

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - Violence broke out at dueling demonstrations over trans rights in front of a Koreatown spa Saturday, fueled by a viral video posted by a woman upset that a person with male genitalia who identified as female was allowed to disrobe in the spa's women's section.

"I think we should let people live their lives, and let trans people live their lives how they want to," Marie Dumouch, a demonstrator for trans rights told CBSLA's Rick Montanez.

By 12:30 p.m., the Los Angeles Police Department had declared an unlawful assembly. Officers in tactical gear ushered the crowd off the street, while some demonstrators set a dumpster on fire and screamed in the faces of police.

A number of confrontations took place at Wi Spa at 2700 Wilshire Blvd., where a protest of the spa's policy was scheduled for 11 a.m. and trans rights supporters with the group SoCal Antifa showed up two hours earlier for their own "No Bigotry in L.A." counter-rally.

Video from the scene showed the trans rights supports clad in black assaulting protesters from the other side, spraying them with an unidentified substance, pushing them, punching them and demanding that they leave the area.

Several of the black-clad demonstrators could be heard cursing at the protesters to "get the (expletive) out."

One man in a blue T-shirt that said "Obey Jesus" was sprayed with something from a can. A few seconds later, a handful of trans rights supporters grabbed a large sign that said "God Does Not Make Mistakes" out of the hands of two protesters. Someone lightly shoved the man in the blue shirt in the back. He then lightly shoved a woman clad in black and was set upon by a group of men, who punched him and hit him twice in the head with a skateboard.

They followed the wounded man down a sidewalk taunting him to fight back until he reached the safety of a police officer.

Black-clad demonstrators could also be seen pushing and beating at least two other protesters while they were on the ground.

A man with no shirt and holding nunchuck-type weapons in both hands appeared to be arrested after swinging the weapons at a group of the black-clad demonstrators later.

The incident that prompted the demonstrations occurred last weekend. The irate customer posted the video on Instagram under the username Cubana Angel, and it quickly drew widespread exposure and support from many others on the site.

The woman can be heard complaining to a Wi Spa staff member at the counter of the establishment.

"So, it's OK for a man to go into the women's section, show his penis around the other women, young little girls -- underage -- in your spa? Wi Spa condones that, is that what you're saying?" she asks.

Another customer tells the woman to go somewhere else if she's offended.

"You go somewhere else!" she replies. "You go somewhere else!"

Another male customer attempts to defend the trans person, who is not seen in the video, but the woman isn't convinced. "He's a man. He is a man. He is not no female," she says.

Another customer can also be heard complaining and asking for her money back.

Wi Spa defended its policy in a statement to Los Angeles Magazine.

"Like many other metropolitan areas, Los Angeles contains a transgender population, some of whom enjoy visiting a spa," the statement said. "Wi Spa strives to meet the needs of all its customers."

Other solidarity demonstrations supporting the trans community were also planned Saturday and Sunday at nearby MacArthur Park.

(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)