PHOENIX (AP) — Hundreds of people took to the streets at two different rallies in the Phoenix area to protest violence against people of Asian descent and show solidarity with the Asian community.
The largest gathering was at the Asian District in Mesa. A protest march ended at AZ International Marketplace, where a vigil was held. Earlier on Saturday, protesters came together at Wesley Bolin Memorial Park in downtown Phoenix to stand against hate crimes that target Asians.
Rally organizers say there have been 3,800 victims of violence against Asians during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic with 42 of the incidents occurring in Arizona. On March 16, spa shootings in Atlanta left eight people dead including six Asian Americans.
