Councilman Whose Restaurant Drew Protesters Sues City

Westminster City Councilman Tony Lam filed a lawsuit against the city last week, seeking reimbursement for attorney fees that he paid in an effort to keep protesters away from his restaurant.

The suit, filed in Orange County Superior Court on Wednesday, argues that Lam should be paid because he is a city employee and took the advice of the city attorney to stay away from massive protests on Bolsa Avenue in January 1999. The staunchly anti-Communist Vietnamese American community was enraged after a video store owner hung Communist icons inside his shop. Daily rallies attracted worldwide attention, and political figures from around the county attended to offer support. But Lam’s no-show backfired.

Protesters were angry that he didn’t show support during the rallies and accused him of being pro-Communist. They demonstrated in front of his Garden Grove restaurant, Vien Dong, in early 1999 for two months. Lam’s attorneys sought injunctions and restraining orders against the protesters.

Lam was out of state and could not be reached. His attorney, Edward Susolik, said the city is negotiating a settlement, which could be voted on at Wednesday’s City Council meeting. He declined to provide details but said the amount would be small compared with the $100,000 in attorney fees that Lam incurred.

City officials could not be reached for comment.