Andover Rally Shows Support For Asian American Community
ANDOVER (CBS) - A thousand miles north of Atlanta, in Andover, dozens lined a busy intersection Friday afternoon for a rally in a show of support for the Asian American community.
The event was planned in the wake of Tuesday's deadly shootings at three Georgia spas. Eight people were killed, six of the victims were Asian women. The gunman's motive remains under investigation and has sparked debates over whether he should face hate crime charges.
"We can see that they appreciate knowing that people care about them, that's what it's all about," said Deb Olander, one of the organizers.
Among those in the crowd was 8-year-old Yura Hur. Her mom helped make a sign that read "stop the hate."
MinJeong Kim said she brought her daughter so she can understand the power of her own voice.
"Little kids are hearing all the bad news, and she was like 'What if someone kills me or something?'" Kim said. "I think it's really heartwarming to see all these people supporting. I really wanted to teach my child to stand up for herself."
Also on Friday, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the nation from Atlanta, offering words of solace and condemning racism. Biden and Harris traveled to Georgia to meet with Asian American leaders, who say incidents of hate against members of Asian American and Pacific Islander community have skyrocketed since the onset of the pandemic.
