Hundreds of people came together - with social distancing and masks - Sunday afternoon to take part in the "Stop Anti-Asian Hate" rally held in the plaza outside the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Organized by the Asian Canadian Equity Alliance Association, the event's purpose was "to oppose discrimination against Asians, mourn the victims of the Atlanta shooting in the United States, support Asian Americans, and call on all sectors of Canadian society to be vigilant against the growing Asian race Discrimination."
“After the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we identified a disturbing trend: an increase in anti-Asian hate crimes and hate-related incidents,” said Vancouver Police Department Cst. Howard Chow last fall.
Vancouver police reported a 717 per cent increase in anti-Asian hate crimes between 2019 and 2020, with the incidents peaking in May. Incidents in Vancouver have ranged from assaults to racist graffiti targeting businesses.
Among those in attendance at Sunday's rally were former Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson and his wife, Eileen Park. Earlier in the week, Park spoke up on social media about her experiences with anti-Asian hate.
One specific type of racism she addressed is the hyper-sexualization and fetishization of Asian women, something she's not surprised to see coming from the public at large.
To that end, several participants at Sunday's Vancouver rally held signs with statements against fetishization.
Sunday's protest in Vancouver was carried out simultaneously with cities across Canada, including Tri-City, Kelowna, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa and other places, according to organizers.
With files from Brendan Kergin and Sarah Grochowski
