A diverse crowd gathered on Saturday near the Georgia State Capitol to demand justice for victims of recent shootings at massage businesses and condemn racism, xenophobia and misinformation.
Hundreds of people of all ages and different racial and ethnic backgrounds gathered at Atlanta’s Liberty Plaza, and at similar rallies around the country, waving signs and shouting slogans.
In Atlanta, he cheered US censors Rafael Warnock and John Osfo and Georgia State Rep. B. Nguyen, the first Vietnamese American to serve in Georgia House.
Warnock said, “I want to tell my Asian sisters and brothers that we see you, and more importantly, we are going to stand with you.”
Robert Aaron Long, a 21-year-old white man, is accused of killing four people inside two Atlanta spas at a massage business in suburban Cherokee County, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) away. Six out of eight Killing people There were women of Asian descent on Tuesday. Another person was shot but survived.
Investigators have said that the confession was for a long time to be murdered but said they were not racially motivated. He claimed that A. Sex addiction, Which caused him to whip out what he saw as sources of seduction according to authorities. The police have said that they are still working Set a motive, To see if the attacks can be classified as hate crimes.
Georgia Jurists Last year Has passed Hate crime law Allowing additional penalties for certain offenses when motivated by the victim’s race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender, or disability. A hate crime is not a standalone crime under Georgia law, but it can be used to add time to the sentence of a person convicted of another crime.
“Whether you want to spin it, but the facts are the same.” It was an attack Asian community, “Said Nguyen, an advocate for women and communities of color. He said the shooter targeted businesses run by women of Asian descent.
“Join hands with our allied community and demand justice not only for these victims but also for all victims of white supremacy,” she said.
Two hundred people gathered in a separate Atlanta park and walked through the streets to join the big rally, chanting “Stop the Rally Hate” and “We are what America looks like”.
23-year-old Frankie Laguna, who grew up in Atlanta and now lives in Tennessee, was an organizer of that group. He told of the first mob of his family, born in America, after his mother came from Taiwan.
As a group he said, “I hate being sick and hypersexualized and hate for what I am, which I cannot change.”
Bernard Dong, a 24-year-old student from Georgia Tech at China, said he came out to protest not only for Asians, but for the rights of all minorities. “Many times Asians remain very quiet, but many times change,” he said.
Dong said he was “angry and disgusted” about the shootings, and the violence that continued against Asians, minorities and women in 2021.
Otis Wilson, a 38-year-old photographer who is Black, said people need to pay attention to facial discrimination of Asian origin. “We went through this last year with the black community, and we’re not the only ones who go through this,” he said.
Camden Hunt, a 28-year-old black woman, said she first joined activism in her native Baltimore. He participated in protests over the death of Freddy Gray, a black man who suffered a broken neck in police custody in Baltimore in 2015. She moved to Atlanta four years ago and became involved in community organizing, pulling together an event to support black women last summer. Victim of police violence.
Hunt joined Saturday’s rally to “show Black and Asian solidarity”, “I think it’s amazing.” I look outside and I see people of all colors and ages and backgrounds. “
Similar rallies were held from coast to coast. In San Francisco, hundreds gathered in Portsmouth Square, in the middle of Chinatown, to mourn the victims and end racist and sexist violence against Asian Americans. Participants waved signs reading “Stop Asian hatred”.
In Pittsburgh, hundreds of people rallied and the video posted on social media showed Gray’s former Anatomy actress and Golden Globe Award winner Sandra Oh talking to the crowd.
“I will challenge everyone here … If you see one of our sisters and brothers in need, will you help us?” She later shouted at a megaphone: “I’m proud to be Asian!” I belong here!”
In Chicago, about 300 people gathered and in New York City, hundreds of marches took place from Times Square to Chinatown, news outlets reported.
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