LAPD break up transgender rights protests outside Los Angeles spa

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Pro- and anti-transgender rights protests outside a Los Angeles spa turned violent on Saturday, resulting in projectiles being thrown, police firing rubber bullets and more than a dozen arrests, according to a report.

The Way Spa in Koreatown was also the site of clashes earlier this month, during protests over a viral video that appeared to show a customer complaining that a transgender woman had exposed herself to children.

On Saturday morning, LGBTQ activists gathered in front of the spa in front of anti-demonstrators who had gathered there to oppose transgender people sponsoring the business, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The report said the spa policy protesters waved placards reading “Save our children” and “Stop defending young children”.

Police declared the gathering illegal after members of the crowd threw projectiles, some of which were aimed at policemen, according to the report.

Footage posted on social media showed police in riot gear firing bean bags and rubber bullets at protesters.

“Most people have left the area, but there are currently a number of arrests for not dispersed,” LAPD Det. Megan Aguilar told the newspaper that no one was hurt.

A Guardian reporter who was covering the protest said she was attacked by protesters who were shouting at Jesus.

“The right-wing anti-pedophile protesters were thrown to the ground as the crowd chased after me,” Louise Beckett wrote on Twitter.

Los Angeles police declared the gathering illegal as protesters gathered outside Wi Spa, the viral video site

The feuding demonstrations appear to have been prompted by the same June 24 Instagram video that sparked violent protests outside the spa on July 3.

“He’s a man,” an angry woman told the staff in the clip. “He is not a female. There are girls out there, other women who are very offended by what they just saw and did nothing. I stood with him.”

Since then questions have been raised about the clip’s authenticity, according to the Los Angeles Blade, a local LGBT newspaper.

Law enforcement sources told the enforcer that they were unable to find evidence confirming that a transgender person was actually at work that day, leading to concerns that the video was filmed.

“I’m recording this because I’m going to do a big job, I’m going to do this all over the world,” the complaining woman in the video heard promising.

The spa defended its practices in a statement to Los Angeles Magazine.

“Like many other metropolitan areas, Los Angeles has a pool of transgender people, some of whom enjoy visiting a spa,” the statement read. “Wi Spa strives to meet the needs of all of its clients.”

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