Hundreds of protesters have gathered in the United States state of Georgia to display their support for the Asian American community. The community has been rocked by three shootings the previous week, which left eight people dead. Six of the fatalities were Asian women.
Rallies Against Anti-Asian Violence
The gunnings at three day spas follow one year of mounting anti-Asian brutality in the US. According to community leaders, the increase is courtesy of Asian Americans being blamed for COVID-19, which was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.
In Charlotte, hundreds came to Marshall Park on Sunday to stand in unity with the Asian American community. The vigil comes nearly a week after the incident. At the vigil on Sunday, there was a moment of reflection, lighting of candles, hugs, and tears. The victims' names were read aloud.
New Yorkers protested in multiple locations in the city on March 21 to protest against anti-Asian violence. They came five days after the Georgia shootings. Demonstrators demanded more resources from the government to support Asian Americans and called for solidarity among minority groups.
On Sunday, hundreds of people also demonstrated outside Chandler City Hall to protest the killing of the Asian Americans. They also cited the recent rise in anti-Asian hate incidents nationwide amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Former Chandler City Councilmember Sam Huang, hailing from Taiwan, helped organize the protest. He said he was impressed with the result taking into consideration it was organized in less than 24 hours.
According to Sam, "We want to replace division with unity. We want to replace hate with love." He added it sounds like a type of slogan or something, but it is what they are aiming for, reported AZ Central.
Atlanta Spa Shootings: Get To Know the People Who Lost Their Lives
Meanwhile, a group named "Justice Southbury" held a peaceful rally at Playhouse Corner on Sunday. This is also in the wake of a recent surge in hate crimes against Asian-Americans in the United States.
Like many of New York's 1.9 million Asian-Americans, Grace Lee, 41, fears she will become a victim of a surge in violence against their community. "I stand in the middle of the platform," she said, fearing she will be shoved in front of a subway train by a racist attacker, reported Yahoo News.
People across the US are taking a stand against Asian American racism. In front of the National Underground Freedom Center, according to Viviana Algeo of Wyoming, "We are not enemies, we are not virus, we are just human beings. My kids were telling me that we are all different, we should love each other, I think that's a great message, simple and clear," reported WLWT5.
Over 1,000 people took to the streets on Sunday in San Francisco to put an end to hatred and violence against Asian Americans. It reportedly may have been the largest show of solidarity yet for a community in pain. The massive crowds took over Market Street. According to Sophia Larioza from San Francisco, she would like to stop the hate crimes because they are human too.
