A weekend of unity and rallies opposing the rise of xenophobia against Asian Americans will take place today and tomorrow in the San Francisco Bay Area .
Members of both the Asian and Black communities are scheduled to speak.
The Oakland rally will begin Saturday, February 13 at 3 p.m. at Madison Park on 810 Jackson Street.
A parallel San Francisco rally is set to start at 1p.m. on Sunday, February 14. Protesters will gather at Civic Center Plaza across from City Hall.
The rallies follow a joint statement released by 60 Asian American groups condemning the violence.
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“These violent assaults have made the especially difficult circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic even more painful. From our Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese elders to our youth, our Asian American communities are traumatized, afraid, and outraged during a time when we are also experiencing disproportionate impacts of the pandemic. These include mass unemployment, safety risks to frontline workers, insecure housing, the shuttering of our local small businesses, and a surge in anti-Asian racism,” the statement in part read.
The rising anxiety follows the death of Vicha Ratanapakdee, an 84-year-old Thai American killed when a teen ran from across the street and shoved him into the sidewalk.
Then days later, another teen attacked three Asian Americans, including a 91-year-old Asian man, in separate incidents on the same day.
Black groups scheduled to speak Saturday include Jackie Byers, Black Organizing Project; Ayodele Nzinga, Black Arts Movement and Business District, Community Development Corporation (BAMBDCDC); and Zach Norris of the Ella Baker Center.
Asian American groups represented at the rally include the Oakland Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce, East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation, New Breath Foundation, AAPI Women Lead, Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice, Asian Pacific Environmental Network and Nikki Bas of the Oakland City Council.
Sunday, more Black and non-Asian groups will join in the healing and call for love.
They include Tinisch Hollins, Californians for Safety and Justice; MegaBlack San Francisco; Rev. Fred Harrel, San Francisco Interfaith Council & City Church of San Francisco; and Mildred Coffey, Coleman Advocates.
Asian American groups include Pine United Methodist Church & Cal-Nev Philippine Solidarity Task Force; Presbyterian Church in Chinatown & Chinatown Community Development Center; Communities As One; Southeast Asian Development Center; and SF Muslim Community Center, SF HRC.
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