Scotch Plains Mayor, Locals Gather To Stop Asian Hate

SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ — Locals came out in droves to show their support to stop Asian hate in Scotch Plains.

The #StopAsianHate rally was a student-led effort by Serena Li, Alexandra Xu, Karyne Brown and Elizabeth Romage from Rutgers Prep's Global Outreach Club. It was held this past Saturday at Scotch Plains Village Green to bring awareness to Asian hate crimes.

Violence against Asian Americans has increased since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Eight people, including six women of Asian descent, were killed last month in a string of shootings at spas across the Atlanta area. A recent video showed a 65-year-old Filipino woman brutally attacked on a New York City street while three men looked on from a nearby building.

"I think the coronavirus has exasperated anti-Asian sentiment in general and there has been an escalation in hate crimes and violence," said Alexandra Xu of Scotch Plains. "We want to bring awareness and also stand in solidarity and come together."

The rally started off with a moment of silence and an interactive art display consisting of a large cloth hung up for participants to write on or to draw sharing their message of solidarity.

Scotch Plains Mayor Joshua Losardo and representatives from Scotch Plains High School's social justice club also spoke at the rally.

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here. Don't miss local and statewide announcements. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.