Westminster Police Cite 2 Protesters Involved in Scuffle Over Vietnam Visit
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WESTMINSTER — A protest outside the office of Dr. Co Pham on Monday led to a minor scuffle, and two men were cited by police.
About 20 people were protesting Pham’s recent trip to Vietnam, in which he led a trade delegation from Little Saigon, when Pham arrived in his car. The protesters approached the car and a scuffle occurred, Police Lt. Rick Main said.
“This is the first time violence has erupted,” Main said. “Usually, they’re peaceful demonstrators.”
Dzu Truong, 73, of Anaheim and Ha Nguyen, 46, of Santa Ana were cited on suspicion of malicious mischief and obstructing a public place. Truong also was cited on suspicion of jabbing the security guard in the car with a miniature flag pole, Main said.
Protester Ha Tran said Truong “was not trying to hurt the security guard. He’s in his 70s and one of his eyes is bad, why would we want to start anything with a security guard?”
Tran, whose sisters died in communist camps, said she and her family plan to continue the protest until Pham steps down as president of the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce. Main and Vietnamese community leaders say they expect more protests.
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