Several incidents of racist graffiti against Asian-Americans in Philadelphia have led residents to show solidarity with those affected by the crimes. Demonstrators gathered in Chinatown Thursday for a “Rally for Solidarity” and marched to City Hall to urge lawmakers to do more to protect Asian-Americans, both here locally and across the nation.
The group Philly Rally for Solidarity marched to raise awareness and stand up against the increase in hate toward marginalized communities.
According to CBS Philly, crowds began forming at 10th and Vine Streets in Chinatown. This rally takes place while Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw calls a surge in racist rhetoric and violence.
Philadelphia police are investigating hateful and Asian-American racist graffiti found on a flower planter in the city’s Chinatown section. A separate investigation is underway into graffiti that included a “racially charged letter with swastikas” that was found on the former William Pierce School.
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Organizer Raquel Dang said that the protest transcends the Asian-American racist issue. “This is not just isolated to the Asian community, this impacts the Brown, the Black communities as well as our LGBTQ communities, so we thought that it was so important to really stand up and bring awareness that a lot of us are hurting.”
A visible community
City Councilmember Helen Gym says Asian-American visibility is fundamental right now. “There is an Asian-American community that has been here united, working on behalf of the city, visible and active on efforts like preserving Chinatown, fighting for funding for our public schools. And in this moment of grief and violence and sorrow, we’re coming together to ask to be heard and seen in a different way,” Gym said.
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