The Tragedy of Flight 655 : TV Performer Beaten at Iranian Westwood Protest

A well-known Iranian-born television performer was chased down and beaten with protesters’ sticks outside the federal building in Westwood on Monday during a demonstration decrying the U.S. downing of an Iranian airliner, police said.

Two men were arrested for assault with a deadly weapon in the attack on comedian Rafi Khachatour, 39, who was reported in fair condition at UCLA Medical Center with serious cuts over his left eye. Los Angeles police Sgt. Rick Walker said there were fears he might lose the eye.

Khachatour, an ethnic Armenian who performs on local Armenian and Iranian television programs, is said to be a well-known opponent of the Khomeini government in Iran.

He was attacked after he showed up near a crowd of as many as 200 demonstrators, characterized by witnesses as pro-Islamic or supporters of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

They stood single file along Wilshire Boulevard around noon, the men standing apart from the women during the demonstration, the men in western clothes and many of the women enveloped in traditional, concealing black chadors.

U.S. ‘Massacre’ Condemned

They waved signs reading “We Condemn the U.S. Massacre of Civilian Passengers” and “U.S. Out of Muslim Land” and chanted similar slogans in English and Persian to passing cars, some of whose occupants reportedly gestured their disapproval or shouted back. At least two groups of protesters and passers-by reportedly came close to blows during arguments.

“They haven’t explained how a civilian airliner could be flying at that altitude toward a ship. The United States’ version just doesn’t make sense,” said protester Mohammed Nori, of the Muslim Student Assn.

“The shooting down of the jet is part of the continuing American foreign policy of intimidation and provocation in the gulf,” he said.

Some witnesses said the demonstration changed from a gathering of Iranian students and relatives concerned and saddened about the downing of the airliner into a more vocal pro-Khomeini protest whose leaders coordinated control of the crowd with walkie-talkies.

Khachatour--a regular on ethnic programs on Channel 18--and a few companions were watching the demonstration, and at one point, said Sgt. Walker, “they were bickering back and forth . . . (they) ended up standing face to face arguing.”

Victim Chased, Beaten

Walker said about 10 demonstrators chased Khachatour and his companions for about 100 yards before catching up to him, kicking him and beating him with protest signs.

Some witnesses reported that Khachatour had grabbed a cane away from a woman to defend himself, but said the cane was snatched from him and used to strike him.

It was “a very brief scuffle,” Walker said. “We just got the call that they were fighting and that’s when we responded.”

Police booked Ali Sinaki, 29, and Seyeo Hashemi, 35, both of the Los Angeles area, on one count each of assault with a deadly weapon.

Khachatour’s companions were also struck and slightly hurt, said Walker, “but they didn’t want to do much with it” and refused to be taken to a hospital.

One pro-Khomeini demonstrator who refused to reveal his name said he did not see the incident, but “they (police) got the wrong person.” He refused to elaborate.

MOst Visible Response

The incident was the most visible local response to Sunday’s accidental downing of an Iranian jetliner by U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf that killed all 290 on board, but at Los Angeles International Airport, security people stepped up their vigilance in the wake of the episode.

In a statement issued Monday, Department of Airports airport manager Stephen Yee said, “We are sensitive to the Iranian incident and we have taken immediate steps to increase our security posture.”

Airport security Sgt. Karen Schulz said officers are “very sensitive to that incident, and we’ve implemented some procedures to increase our security awareness,” both at domestic and foreign airlines, as is standard with any such episode, she said.

Security throughout the entire airport, including the grounds where planes were loaded and serviced, was tight, operations superintendent Dale Harris said.

In Dallas, American Airlines spokeswoman Mary O’Neill said the airline has alerted its 150 general managers internationally “to be extra alert for any kind of international security incident.” Although American flies no closer to the Middle East than Madrid, it is, she said, “standard” procedure under the circumstances. Airline security normally are very careful in checking documents and luggage, she said, but the memo means “they’re just being a little bit more careful about it now, if possible.”

‘Standard Security’ by El Al

At El Al Israel Airlines, Los Angeles station manager Peter Kramer said, “We have our standard security, which is very tight as you know, and there’s no change.”

Times staff writer Boris Yaro contributed to this story.