Rallies are being held in New York, Chicago, San Francisco as advocates push for the Atlanta attack to be investigated as a hate crime.
Newsy's Cat Sandoval has the story.
YORK, CHICAGO, SANFRANCISCO AS ADVOCATES PUSH FORTHE ATLANTA ATTACK TO BEINVESTIGATED AS A HATE CRIME.NEWSY'S CAT SANDOVAL HAS THESTORACROSS THE COUNTRY, FROMCALIFORNIA TO NEW YORK,HUNDREDS HAVE MARCHED UNITEDAGAINST ANTI-ASIAN HATE ANDHELD VIGILS TO REMEMBER THEATLANTA SHOOTIVICTIMS. "THE REALITY IS THATTHIS COULD HAVE BEEN ME OR MYSISTER OR MY FAMILY," SAYS UMIAKIYOSHI.
SINCE THE START OF THEPANDEMIC, THE ASIAN AMERICANCOMMUNITY HAS BEEN FACED WITDISCRIMINATION AND ATTACKS ANDOFTEN BLAMED FOR THEPANDEMIC.
WHAT HAPPENED INATLANTA HAS GALVANIZEDPEOPLE.
"IT'S HARD TO GO THROUGHSOMETHING LITHIS AND JUST BE BY YOURSELF,"SAYS ONE OF THE ASIAN AMERICANVIGIL ATTENDEES.
ASIAN AMERICANADVOCACY GROUPS ARECALLING THE SHOOTING BY A WHITEMALE GUNMAN A HACRIME BECAUSE OF THE EIGHTVICTIMS KILLED, A MAJORITY OFTHEM WERE ASIAN WOMEN.
JO-ANNYOO, THE EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY GROUP ASIANAMERICAN FEDERATION, SAID,"HE COULD HAVE GONE TO ANY SPABUT HE CHOSE THE ASIAMERICAN SPAS AND HE CHOSE TOKILL ASIAN AMERICANWORKERS." FBI DIRECTORCHRISTOPHER WRAY SAYS THESHOOTINGS DON'T APPEAR TO BERACIALLY MOTIVATEDTHOUGH THE CASE IS STILL UNDERINVESTIGATION.
"THERE'S NO HATECRIME THERE?
YOU GOTTA BEKIDDING!
ATHEN FOR THE SHERIFF'SDEPARTMENT'S OFFICE TO STHE KILLER HAD A BAD DAY?
THEKILLER HAD A BAD DAY?
THOSEEIGHT PEOPLE HAD BAD DAYS!
THISIS OUTRAGEOUS!SAID DEMOCRATIC STATE SEN.
JOHNLIU OF NEW YORK.
SENATOR TAMDUCKWORTH HAS ASKED WRAY ANDATTORNEY GENERAL MERRICK GARLANDTO LOOK INTO WHETHER HATE CRIMAGAINST ASIAN ASIAN AMERICANSARE UNDERREPORTEON FACE THE NATION SHE SAID, "IWANNA SEE A DEEPINVESTIGATION INTO WHETHER ORNOT THESE SHOOTINGS ANDOTHER SIMILAR CRIMES ARERACIALLY MOTIVATED.
ITLOOKS RACIALLY MOTIVATED TO ME.ACTIVISTS HAVE SEEN A RISE INASIAN ATTACKS.
REPORTING CENTERSTOP AAPI HATERECORDED NEARLY 3,800 ANTI-ASIANINCIDENTS SINCETHE START OF THE PANDEMIC, 68%OF THEM WERE WOMENPRESIDENT JOE BIDEN AND VICEPRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS, WHOSEMOTHER IS FROM INDIA, MET WITHASIAN AMERICANLEADERS IN ATLANTA DAYS AFTERTHE SHOOTING.
THEYACKNOWLEDGED THE ONGOING SURGEOF VIOLENCEAGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS AND TOOKA STAND AGAINST RACISMAND XENOPHOBIA.
"A HARM AGAINSTANY ONE OF US IS A HARM AGAINSTALL OF US.
THE PRESIDENT AND IWILL NOT BE SILENT," SAIDHARRIS.COMING UP NEXT..
WE WILL TAKEONE FINAL LOOK AT YOUR FORECASTWHEN 23ABC NEWS RETURN
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