
By Briana Gomez
Photo by Paul Kruze: Officers guarding City Hall, where the City Clerk's office was set afire during the riot on May 30
The City of La Mesa held a heated livestream city council meeting Tuesday with council members socially distanced via zoom, the first public meeting since the May 30 riots that followed protests for black lives.
The Council unanimously voted to have an outside investigator review police, fire department and other city agencies’ actions during the protest and rioting that ended with multiple businesses looted, vehicles burned, two banks and a historic building burned down.
Council members reviewed their agenda before public comments, most of which criticized the La Mesa Police Department for its recent treatment of the black community, perceived mismanagement of what began as a peaceful protest, and for not preventing the city from burning down during riots that ensued.
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