Oakland rally denounces violence against Asians after Ga. shootings
Hundreds gathered on Forbes Avenue in Oakland for a “Stop Asian Hate” march Saturday afternoon.
The march was organized by a group called Thrash The State and called for solidarity in raising awareness about growing violence against Asian Americans.
Many attendees cited the deadly shootings at massage spas in the Atlanta area Tuesday as the catalyst for the march.
The crowd was diverse, with many people appearing to be of college age, though some parents and their children also were in attendance.
The main goal of the event was to call attention to the “rise in anti-Asian hate crimes,” said one organizer, who asked to be identified only as Jake.
The rally began at the corner of Forbes and Oakland avenues at 2 p.m., when speakers began to take turns at a microphone.
Actor Sandra Oh, who is in Pittsburgh filming a Netflix series called “The Chair,” briefly addressed the crowd.
“I am so happy and proud to be here with you,” she said. “For many of us in our community, this is the first time we are even able to voice our fear and our anger. I know many of us in our community are very scared, and I understand that.”
Ms. Oh encouraged those in the crowd to reach out help those
who may be struggling.
“I was fortunate that I wasn’t one of the eight in Atlanta,” said Sunny Dangui, 22. “Could it have been me? Yeah. As long as there is still white supremacy, as long as there is still systemic
racism, this is not going to end.”
Ms. Dangui, a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University, said speaking at the rally was “a duty” for her.
After nearly two hours, the group marched down Forbes
Avenue and onto Carnegie Mellon University’s campus.
Throughout the march, led by drummers keeping the beat, demonstrators chanted such