Rally against anti-Asian hate planned this weekend in Toronto

Please Note: As of March 8, Toronto is under the province’s Grey Zone. This means you must stay at home as much as possible and only go out for necessities, including getting food, going to work, and getting exercise. If you go out, maintain the six-foot physical distancing guidelines and wear a mask.

A demonstration condemning anti-Asian hate is planned for Sunday afternoon in downtown Toronto.

The protest is planned to begin at Nathan Phillips Square at 2 pm. Those who want to make signs together are welcome to come down an hour early.

Organizers are asking Torontonians to stand in solidarity with the Asian community as Canada sees a rise in anti-Asian attacks during the pandemic.

“In Canada a lot of people think ‘oh it’s not happening here’. But it certainly is,” organizer Sheila Hui told Daily Hive in a phone interview.

• See also:
  • Over 1,100 anti-Asian attacks occurred in Canada since pandemic began
  • Opinion: Anti-Asian attacks are not new. But what have we learned from our past?
  • 6 easy ways to be an ally to Canada’s Asian community

She’s never organized a rally before, but was spurred into action after seeing increasing reports of anti-Asian violence, including the mass shooting in Atlanta where six of the eight people killed were Asian women.

“A lot of incidents I saw reported through my Instagram feed from accounts that are Asian-focused,” she said. “I started to feel a bit frustrated that these topics and crimes weren’t getting attention at that national level.”

Hui and co-organizer Helena Vo joined forces with Amy Go, president of the Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice, to plan Sunday’s demonstration. Other organizations involved include CCNC’s Toronto chapter, Butterfly, the Asian Canadian Labour Alliance, and For a Safer Space.

Hui hopes the rally lets other people in Canada’s Asian community know they’re not alone. She also hopes this movement sparks lasting change through more funds allocated to violence prevention and anti-racism initiatives.

 

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“Violence against Asians is nothing new,” organizers wrote in an Instagram post. “It stems from deep-rooted systemic sources of racism, xenophobia, sexism, white supremacy, and cis-heteropatriarchy that harm and impact all our communities.”

Protesters are asked to wear masks and respect physical distancing guidelines. Messages of support can be shared using the hashtag #stopasianhatetoronto.

 

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Toronto Solidarity Rally Against Anti-Asian Hate

When: Sunday, March 28
Time: 2 pm
Where: Nathan Phillips Square