Photo by Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons
New York City mayoral hopeful Andrew Yang received criticism from protesters while attending a Daunte Wright protest on Tuesday, Daily Mail reports.
The protests were being held for the police killing of Daunte Wright in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Wright was fatally shot by former police officer Kim Potter, who claims she mistook her gun for her taser.
Yang joined hundreds of bike protestors on his bike, but his presence was met with criticism.
“Do not use our protest for your publicity,” a woman told Yang through a megaphone about 7:50 p.m, according to the New York Post. “We don’t want you here. You’re pro-cop.”
Protestors then began chanting “Shame” at Yang who eventually rode off with his supporters, according to the Daily Mail.
In recent weeks, Yang has been criticized for his pro-police response to the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes. According to the Daily Mail, Yang apparently affirmed the need for police involvement when met with chants of “Defund the Police” at a speaking event on March 21.
“I know there are people that are passionate about this, but the fact of the matter is when someone gets stabbed you need the police to follow up. That person should not be on the streets,” Yang responded.
Yang’s response to the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes has also drawn criticism from the Asian American community. In an op-ed for the Washington Post, Yang insisted that Asian Americans needed to further embrace their “Americanness.”
“We need to step up, help our neighbors, donate gear, vote, wear red white and blue, volunteer, fund aid organizations, and do everything in our power to accelerate the end of this crisis. We should show without a shadow of a doubt that we are Americans who will do our part for our country in this time of need,” Yang wrote in his op-ed.
Asian American author Jenny Yang told ABC News she felt the op-Ed sent the wrong message.
“I felt my stomach sink,” Jenny Yang told ABC News. “Andrew is telling us we cannot expect telling people to not be racist to work, so we should lean in to be more American so we will be less threatening to other Americans,” — a direct reference to Yang’s words in the article, “I obviously think that being racist is not a good thing. But saying, ‘Don’t be racist toward Asians,’ won’t work.”
Bruce Embrey, the co-chair of the Manzanar Committee, pointed out that Japanese Americans tried Yang’s method during World War II with little success.
“Many in our community, during and after the forced removal of our families in ’42, argued precisely what Yang is saying,” Embrey told ABC News. “Just be good Americans, don’t make waves or protest, show how patriotic we are and everything will be fine. Well, my family lost their constitutional rights. I wouldn’t consider that ‘just fine.'”
Yang responded to criticisms stating he was “just saying that we need to do all we can.”
Yang and his team have not yet commented on the criticism he received at the Daunte Wright protest.
AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. We’re an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. Check out our new Instagram account. Go to our Twitter feed and Facebook page for more content. Please consider interning, joining our staff, or making a financial contribution to support us.
