The and organised a 70-strong #StopAsianHate protest on April 24.
The event marked white US 鈥檚 murder of six Asian women in Atlanta on March 17 and the rise of anti-Asian racism.
Brenda Gaddi, founder of read out the names of the six women: Suncha Kim, age 69, Yong Yue, age 63,, age 33,, age 54,, age 49, and Daoyou Feng, age 44. Gaddi described their families, their passions and their work.
Korean Australian writer and vigil organiser Shona Yang said grassroots action was needed 鈥渢o prevent Atlanta-like shootings from happening here and 鈥 to put an end to the rise of racism against our community鈥.
Nathan Moran, Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council CEO, expressed solidarity saying: 鈥淥ur world is made up of ninety percent coloured people and only 10% is white. If we stand together, we are going to make ourselves free again like we were before 1789.鈥
From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese Australians reported a on public transport, online and in the streets.
These attacks were fuelled by racist headlines in Murdoch鈥檚 Herald-Sun and Daily Telegraph that racially labelled the corona virus as a 鈥楥hinese virus鈥.
A by the Asian Australian Alliance last April recorded . Common attacks included anti-Asian racial slurs, physical intimidation and verbal abuse in the form of questions like 鈥淒o you have coronavirus?鈥 Individuals also reported being deliberately coughed or sneezed upon.
NSW Greens MP Jenny Leong called on the federal government to introduce more effective anti-racism laws, taking inspiration from .
Benjamin Oh, Asian Australian Alliance National and co-convenor, described the racism surge during the pandemic as 鈥渘ew manifestations鈥 of longstanding anti-Asian hate. He said 鈥渁nti-Asian hate has a long history in Australia鈥 that can be 鈥渢raced back to its roots before Federation all the way to the gold rush of the 1800s where Asians were treated terribly.鈥
The protest urged Multicultural Affairs Minister Alex Hawke and Prime Minister Scott Morrison to condemn anti-Asian racism.
A minute鈥檚 silence was held for the victims of Asian hate crimes.