.webp "Sunflower Haze, right, hugs Mike L. after she spoke at a news conference outside LAPD headquarters to announce lawsuits against the Police Department over its alleged targeted attacks against journalists and activists.(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)")
The activists arrived outside the Wi Spa in Westlake Saturday morning, some prepared for the worst.
Several wore bike helmets and vests with extra padding. N.W.A.’s “F— Tha Police” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright” filled the air.
They were met by far-right extremists who over the last few weeks had turned a debate over transgender access at a Korean spa into a rallying cry.
It didn’t take long for the dueling protests to dissolve into disarray.
By the end, the LAPD had used projectiles and batons and arrested 40 people — mostly for failure to disperse. Several said they sustained injuries at the hands of police.
“I knew it was going to be violent. I didn’t know it was going to end up like that,” said Jessica Rogers, a 31-year-old who had come to document the event and support transgender rights and was among those arrested.
