‘L.A. in Crisis’: Watch the town hall hosted by the L.A. Times and Fox 11

The Los Angeles Times and Fox 11 L.A. hosted a live town hall event Thursday night to examine the L.A. City Council scandal and explore a way forward for the city.

Times columnists Erika D. Smith and LZ Granderson and reporter Benjamin Oreskes joined Fox anchors Elex Michaelson and Marla Tellez for “L.A. in Crisis: The Call for Change,” a one-hour special with city and community leaders and residents across Los Angeles..

You can watch the town hall on YouTube and Twitter.

The live forum included discussions with city officials, community leaders and experts, as well as participation from residents in South Los Angeles, Koreatown and Studio City. The most common message was that Councilmembers Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo should resign. Both have been stripped of their committee assignments but have resisted calls to leave office.

“They need to step down immediately because every day that they are in office is another racist attack,” said Michael Browning, president of the Van Nuys Neighborhood Council. “It’s time for them to go.”

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The town hall follows The Times’ reporting on a leaked audio recording of three members of the L.A. City Council and a top county labor leader who can be heard making racist and derogatory comments last October. But it also captures four plotting to strengthen their power via redistricting — the drawing of City Council district lines.

Since The Times reported on the recordings on Oct. 9, former City Council President Nury Martinez and former L.A. County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera resigned. The two other participants in the taped conversation, Councilmembers Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León, have been stripped of their committee assignments, but have resisted calls for their resignations. Full Times coverage is here.

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