Hundreds gather in Atlanta for "Stop Asian Hate" rally

WASHINGTON, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of protesters of all ages and ethnicities gathered Saturday in Atlanta, Georgia, to protest hate crimes against Asian Americans, days after multiple shootings in and around the city killed eight people, among whom six were Asian women.

The protest, which saw demonstrators march from Woodruff Park to the State Capitol, was billed as a #StopAsianHate event calling on people to "come together to grieve, heal and support."

The crowd was heard chanting slogans including "Stop Asian hate!" and "We are what America looks like," as they proceeded and ultimately gathered at Liberty Plaza beneath Georgia's Gold Dome. The demonstrators were also waving American flags and carrying posters that read "We are not the virus," among others.

In front of the State Capitol, Georgia's two newly-elected senators, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, led the crowd in a moment of silence.

"I just wanted to drop by to say to my Asian sisters and brothers, 'We see you, and, more importantly, we are going to stand with you," said Warnock, calling for a "reasonable gun reform."

Warnock, Georgia's first African-American senator, was joined by Ossoff, who said, "Let us build a state and a nation where no one lives in fear because of who they are or where they or their family come from."

Robert Aaron Long, 21, a white man, admitted to police that he had killed four people inside two spas in Atlanta and four others at a massage parlor in suburban Cherokee County on Tuesday. Six of the eight victims were women of Asian descent.

Police are still working to establish a motive, including looking into whether racism played a role in the slayings and if the attacks can be classified as hate crimes.

"No matter how you want to spin it, the facts remain the same: This was an attack on the Asian community," said Georgia state Representative Bee Nguyen, the first Vietnamese American to serve in the Georgia House.

Noting that the shooter targeted businesses run by Asian Americans, Nguyen said, "Let's join hands with our ally community and demand justice for not only these victims, but for all victims of white supremacy."

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Atlanta Friday, meeting with Asian-American community leaders there and imploring the American people to stand up to and speak out against hate directed at Asian Americans.