PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Hundreds gathered near Salmon Street Springs Fountain in Portland to remember those killed last week in Atlanta, and call for an end to the recent surge in hate crimes against Asian Americans since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Robert Aaron Long was charged in the killing of eight people last week, six of whom were of Asian descent. Although Long told law enforcement his crimes weren’t racially motivated, the tragedy spurred wider attention to the rise in racist hate crimes against Asian Americans.
The event in Portland was streamed online in solidarity with at least 20 other cities holding similar events nationwide, including Seattle.
