The Stop Asian Hate protests took place across the US after six Asian women tragically died during a mass shooting at three massage parlors in Georgia.
Hundreds of people gathered in New York City, Pennsylvania, California, Washington state, and Washington DC after 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long was charged with killing eight people.
Photos show activists gathered in solidarity with residents in the Chinatown area of DC and Asian American community in Philadelphia on Tuesday night.
The executive director of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, John Chin, told WHYY: “The Asian American community here in Philadelphia, they’re on edge.
“I think there’s a sentiment and a fear and anxiety that it could have happened to anybody here because when we look at the news, there’s no rhyme or reason. They seem to be senseless acts of violence, and that creates a lot of fear.”
In New York, around 200 people gathered in the Jackson Heights area of Queens.
Organizer Shekar Krishnan said: “We are so devastated and pained after what happened, knowing it’s a continuation of a long line of hate and violence against the Asian-American community. We are here today to send a message that we will not be silenced. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.”
The New York Police Department is said to have increased patrols in areas that might be targeted.
Vicente Reid, the CEO of Arizona Asian Chamber of Commerce, is also planning a vigil next week in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa.
The area has a high concentration of Asian American-owned restaurants and shops.
“I think there is this whole outlet of this younger generation who’s passionate and has the energy. They just need someone to step up and lead them,” Reid said.
A Stop Asian Hate march is also being planned for March 26 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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