Great relief for a rainbow family in West Hollywood: The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office will not file charges against 32-year-old David Vulin. Vulin was arrested in April 2026 after he physically attacked 22-year-old far-right streamer Ryley Niemi on a public street. As Vulin’s lawyer confirmed, his client completed a diversion program. This will seal the arrest records in court. The program typically applies to first-time offenders and offenses of lesser or moderate severity, especially when there are mitigating circumstances.
The incident occurred in April on the Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood. David Vulin was walking with his husband Anthony and their infant when Niemi approached the family. Niemi claimed to be a CNN reporter and confronted the couple with the assertion that gay men commit child abuse disproportionately often.
Confrontation and Arrest
Video footage shows Vulin subsequently shoving the influencer away. A few blocks later, there was another confrontation, during which Niemi questioned the child’s safety because of the parents’ sexual orientation. Vulin then punched Niemi several times in the head; a camera was also broken. Niemi said he suffered a concussion. The Sheriff’s Department later arrested Vulin on suspicion of assault and vandalism.
Representatives of the city of West Hollywood publicly criticized Niemi as an aggressor who deliberately provoked violence against the gay couple because of their sexual orientation. They urged the District Attorney to refrain from prosecuting Vulin — with success.
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The Vulin family expressed relief at the dismissal but criticized that hate speech that is monetized online remains unpunished. Anthony Vulin, in a statement, said he is working with state lawmakers on a legislative initiative to hold content creators liable for consciously inciting aggression.
The couple had asked for donations for legal costs and received broad solidarity: On “GoFundMe” the men raised over $212,000 (about €190,000). They wrote: “As a gay couple with our newborn baby, we were attacked in a way that was deeply disturbing and destabilizing for our family. My husband and I have fought incredibly hard to build the life we have today and to welcome our baby into it — which makes this moment particularly painful and overwhelming.”
Provocateur Sees Himself as a Victim
The streamer Ryley Niemi expressed surprise at the decision, pointed to his injuries, and announced that he would consider civil action against the couple. Niemi, who describes himself as a MAGA influencer, is mainly known for street interviews in which he provokes queer people with anti-queer remarks. He also mingles with left-wing demonstrations, where he advocates deportations, or provokes female students with misogynistic comments. He argues that women are primarily responsible for housework, motherhood, and submission to men.
After the incident in West Hollywood, he presented himself as a victim who was attacked only because of his political beliefs. He said in a podcast: “If they had told me how bad it is to be conservative, and I had beaten them, I truly don’t think that I would have gotten away with it.” Niemi also spread several unfounded claims about the encounter with the rainbow family — for instance, that the couple was planning to take their child to a gay disco. (dk)
