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San José Mayor Sam Liccardo, an avid supporter of Hillary Clinton, launched into damage control mode the day after anti-Trump thugs violently attacked Donald Trump supporters attending a campaign rally in the sanctuary city, as did the chief of police.

While he blamed the presumptive Republican presidential nominee for the violence, Liccardo said he condemned “all acts of violence against people who exercise their rights to free speech and assembly, regardless of their political views.”

I condemn all acts of violence committed against people who exercise their rights to free speech and assembly pic.twitter.com/PumCWdfWnT — Sam Liccardo (@sliccardo) June 3, 2016

San José Police Chief Eddie Garcia joined the mayor in saying violence “will not be tolerated,” even though he fretted in a statement that protecting Trump supporters — see enforcing the law — would further “incite” the mob.

“While several physical assaults did occur, the police personnel on scene had the difficult task of weighing the need to immediately apprehend the suspect(s) against the possibility that police action involving the use of physical force under the circumstances would further insight [sic] the crowd and produce more violent behavior,” a SJPD statement read.

Which all but equates to giving protesters space to destroy … the faces of Trump supporters.

OH. MY. GOD. Basically: "Arresting them would just make them angrier so we didn't." pic.twitter.com/FcgE8YaZen — A.J. Delgado (@AJDelgado13) June 5, 2016

Garcia said in hindsight that committing 250 officers to the Trump rally “was not enough” and stressed that “de-escalation techniques are important.”

He added that the SJPD is not an “occupying force,” and insisted that “officer safety and crowd control techniques are critical and cannot be abandoned when protestors [sic] scatter from area to area faster than the police lines can move.”

https://t.co/H8LNAw1GOF. I realize there is frustration, but we are not done. The violence will not be tolerated. — Eddie Garcia (@sjpdchief) June 4, 2016

To assure residents that San José is sincere is protecting others from the “reprehensible” actions of the anti-Trump thugs — albeit after the fact — Garcia and Mayor Liccardo are asking for video or audio “tips” to help them identify the culprits.

Never mind that a quick scan of social media would do the trick, as seen here:

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I’m offering a $20,000 REWARD for the identity of the COWARD who sucker-punched this Trump Supporter in San Jose. RT pic.twitter.com/vJxoi26X4S — Thomas Paine (@Thomas1774Paine) June 3, 2016

Protesters cornering Trump supporters as they leave. This woman taunted them. They cornered her & threw eggs at her pic.twitter.com/MiDGDBkKIo — Sara Murray (@SaraMurray) June 3, 2016

NOW: #Trump supporter attacked and left bleeding in San Jose pic.twitter.com/kC2GVz9JcZ — Tim Pool (@Timcast) June 3, 2016