Asian-Australians hold protests as community faces rise in racist attacks
- Wearing face masks, the protesters in Adelaide carried banners saying ‘no racism to Asians’, while chanting ‘equality’ and ‘justice’
- The event comes amid rising attacks against Asians, including a Chinese delivery rider who needed dental treatment after he was assaulted by two white men
More than 600 people turned up at two anti-racism protests in South Australia over the weekend, amid a rising wave of racist attacks on the Asian-Australian community.
Demonstrators at the peaceful events, organised by the Adelaide Chinese Community group, wore face masks, practised safe distancing, and carried banners saying “no racism to Asians” and “no bullies”, while chanting “equality” and “justice”.
At the start of the protests, the organisers pleaded for racism against Asians to stop.
“We all love Adelaide, it is our home,” a woman who made a speech to the public said. “However, things started to change recently. Many Asian-Aussie children were verbally assaulted when their mothers brought them to playgrounds. It was heartbreaking to hear children told, ’you are a virus, stay away from us’.
“Recently, there was a young delivery rider who was physically attacked. He also did nothing wrong yet he suffered and was traumatised,” she added.
By the at times intemperate remarks of members of the government, I think it has simply provided fuel for those who are looking to blame someone for their ills
Incidents of racism against Asians continue to rise, advocacy groups say, contradicting the Australian government’s dismissal of China’s warning to students and tourists that the country was seeing a “significant increase” in racist attacks on “Chinese and Asian people”.