Series of Bay Area rallies held in support of AAPI community
DALY CITY, Calif. - A series of rallies in the Bay Area took place across the Bay Area Saturday afternoon, all to combat racial hate.
They come in the wake of the deadly shootings in the metro Atlanta area, and violence against Asians here in our own backyard.
The string of incidents, sometimes deadly, gets longer every week.
And it’s motivating a group that often stays silent, to raise their voices against racism and bigotry.
An elderly Asian woman was violently robbed in Daly City Thursday, the entire incident captured on a security camera.
Such incidents have sparked anti-hate rallies like the one that took place outside City Hall in Daly City Saturday, one of several in the Bay Area.
Police are not yet saying whether the Daly City attack was racially motivated, or a crime of opportunity.
Regardless, the District Attorney is vowing to prosecute to the fullest anyone responsible for such crimes.
"To make sure everybody out there knows that in San Mateo County, Daly City, they are going to face consequences. They are going to face incarceration," said Steve Wagstaffe, District Attorney of San Mateo County.
On March 15th, Daly City police tweeted there had been a recent string of street-type thefts targeting females for purses or backpacks.
The mayor put the number under investigation at six, and says many victims are elderly and Asian, adding police are working aggressively to stop the crimes.
"There are folks from our DC PD that are on patrol, both in uniform and not in uniform, to make sure that these attacks on our elderly are not victimized again," said Mayor Juslyn Manalo.
At another rally in San Francisco’s Chinatown, the Asian American Pacific Islander community galvanized to fight back with their voices to raise awareness and help prevent future attacks.
Shaw San Liu, with San Francisco’s Chinese Progressive Association, says she believes part of the problem lies with what she calls the under-resourcing in communities of color that lack jobs, access to health services, and violence prevention education.
"We're calling for all levels of government, from the city of San Francisco on up to immediately invest in the needs of our Asian immigrant Community for safety and Justice, as well as all communities of color," said Liu.
The Asian American Pacifica Islander community has characterized themselves as historically quiet on the issue of racism, but no more.
Several people grabbed the mic to express fear, grief, and anger.
"This is a new day and age. No more microaggressions. No more of the jokes. No more of the bullying. No more of the teasing. No more normalizing anti-Asian racism. I’m done with that!," said an unidentified speaker.
The mayor of Daly city says next week an AAPI group will hold a panel discussion with the sheriff and DA to talk about how to prevent future attacks.
As for that Daly City robbery caught on camera, so far, no arrests.