'Stand With AAPI' Demonstration Planned In Livermore

LIVERMORE, CA — A surge in crimes targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders has prompted Tri-Valley community members to rally together on Sunday to call for an end to the violence.

Livermore Indivisible and Tri-Valley for Black Lives planned a demonstration for Sunday from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Participants are invited to gather at Livermore Stockmen's Park.

"We are highlighting our 'invisible' Asian population and asking for our community to recognize and support them," Kyoko Takayama, community organizer, wrote in a statement.

All attendees are asked to wear masks and practice social distancing.

The following community members were set to speak at the rally:

• Pastor Kathy La Point-Collup, Asbury United Methodist Church
• Ian Quindipan, Officer of Granada High School's Students for Social Change and Member of Livermore's Youth Commission
• Denise Bridges, Open Heart Kitchen
• Mel Chiong, Member of Livermore Indivisible
• Emily Wilson, Co-founder of Tri-Valley for Black Lives

Similar events to support AAPI communities unfolded all over the Golden State Saturday. The groundswell of activism follows an uptick in discrimination against Asians during the coronavirus pandemic and the Atlanta killings that shook the nation earlier this month.

A recent report released by Stop AAPI Hate recorded 3,795 incidents of harassment and assault against Asian Americans in the U.S. between Feb. 28 and March 19.

What's more, an analysis of police department statistics revealed that hate crimes targeting Asian Americans rose by almost 150 percent in 2020. The study was released by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.