San Diego-County Inspector Nathan Fletcher was honored at Tuesday’s celebrations to initiate a full reopening of California, while protesters outside the event criticized his pandemic response.

The event hosted by the San Diego Event Alliance was held at the time when most of the state’s COVID-19 restrictions, including physical distance requirements and capacity restrictions for businesses and public gatherings, were lifted. For many in the event industry, this is a long-awaited day because of the 15-month restrictions imposed to stop the spread of the virus.