Brawl over botched US$5 eyebrow wax at Asian-owned nail salon in Brooklyn sparks racially-tinged protests
Incident has inflamed racial tensions in predominantly black neighbourhood, and prompted calls for black residents to spend their money elsewhere
A now-viral video shows a nail salon in chaos – a loose flip-flop on the floor, manicure stations pushed roughly to the side.
Several Asian women in smocks grab at a black woman, trying to get a grip on the straps of her tank top. One sprays her with what looks like a bottle of acetone nail polish remover.
When the black woman breaks free, a barefoot Asian woman in denim shorts raises what looks like the handle of a mop or broomstick. She brings it down onto the black woman’s back, repeatedly, as the woman flees from the salon.
The source of the dispute? A botched US$5 eyebrow wax, according to news reports.
By Monday night, the video had racked up hundreds of thousands of views. Two women had been charged with assault.
And protesters had picketed outside the nail salon, accusing the Asian-owned business of disrespecting residents of the predominantly black neighbourhood.