BY ROSE ADAMS
Brooklynites came together
to denounce the Atlanta shootings
at three separate rallies
across the borough on Sunday
— arguing that the massacre
that killed six Asian women
exemplifi ed the increased racism
Asian-Americans have
faced during the COVID-19
pandemic.
“That is hate,” said state
Sen. John Liu, who represents
Queens, during a March 21
rally outside Brooklyn Borough
Hall. “That is a feeling
that we all feel as Asian-Americans,
that somehow we’re not
people or we’re not Americans.
We’re perpetual foreigners.”
The protests come less
than one week after a 21-yearold
suspect Robert Aaron
Long opened fi re in three
spas and massage parlors in
Atlanta, Georgia on March
16, killing eight people, six of
whom were women of Asian
descent.
Offi cers from the Atlanta
Police Department have faced
backlash after not labeling the
incident a hate crime, claiming
instead that Long was motivated
Keep your gathering small
and celebrate Holi with
household members only.
COURIER L 6 IFE, MAR. 26-APR. 1, 2021
by a sexual addiction,
and that he “had a bad day.”
Police are still investigating
the shootings, and Long remains
in custody.
Nationwide, attacks
against Asian Americans and
Pacifi c Islanders (AAPI) have
surged over the last year. New
York City has seen the biggest
spike in anti-Asian hate
crime in the country, with incidents
jumping from three to
28 in 2020 — an 833 percent increase,
according to the Center
for the Study of Hate and
Extremism.
During three protests on
Sunday, Brooklynites fought
back against the rise in hate.
One rally, hosted by Borough
President Eric Adams outside
Borough Hall, drew Brooklyn
legislators, activists, and
local offi cials who vowed to
bring those attackers of the
Asian-Americans community
to justice.
“As Brooklyn’s top prosecutor,
I am committed to
protecting all communities
— including the AAPI community
— from every type of
crime, especially hate-fueled
violence, and to holding those
who commit them accountable,”
said Brooklyn District
Attorney Eric Gonzalez. “In
the face of rising intolerance
across the country, we must
all speak out and call out bigotry
and violence.”
One Chinese-American
community leader said that
the way to mitigate anti-
Asian hate is not through policing,
but through increased
resources to community
groups.
“If we’ve learned anything
in the last year as were
marching for Black lives, the
police is not only the answer,”
said Wayne Ho, the president
of the Chinese-American
Planning Council, who spoke
Protesters in Bensonhurst denounced the rise in hate crimes against
Asian-Americans on March 21. Photo by Arthur de Gaeta
at the Borough Hall rally.
“We need to have restorative
justice, we don’t need incarceration
at this time.”
Protesters also gathered
outside Barclays Center on
Sunday for the “Black People
for Asian Lives Rally” hosted
by a cadre of civil rights
groups.
Fighting hatred
Protestors blast anti-Asian racism
If gathering in a group,
wear a snug fitting face
covering to protect the
elderly and vulnerable.
For more information, visit nyc.gov/health/coronavirus.
If you are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, book your appointment by
calling 877-829-4692 (877-VAX-4NYC) or go to nyc.gov/vaccinefinder.
Learn more about COVID-19
vaccines, including which
groups are currently eligible
to receive one.
AT HOME TO STOP THE SPREAD
OF COVID-19
Bill de Blasio
Mayor
Dave A. Chokshi, MD, MSc
Commissioner
/coronavirus
/vaccinefinder