Former Governor Gary Locke joined hundreds of protesters in Seattle’s International District to condemn anti-Asian violence Saturday.
“We cannot scapegoat, blame Asian Americans for this virus,” he declared as he lead the demonstrators in the chant “hate is a virus.”
In 1997, Locke became the first Chinese American ever to serve as Governor in the United States. He also served as ambassador to China during the Obama Administration
According to Q13, incidents of reported hate incidents against Asian Americans spiked 55 percent in 2020 in Seattle over the year.
“I’m tired of having to validate and explain our oppression because people do not see it as often, and I hope now with this coverage, and the national rise in hate crime, and the documentation of it, that more people are aware of it,” said Annie Zhou.
Organizers dubbed the rally “We Are Not Silent.”
The Seattle Police Department has pledged to investigate all bias incidents and crimes.
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