A grassroots Richmond organization gathered in Steveston Thursday to display 7,000 signatures against racism.
The signatures - collected online and on the streets of four cities in Metro Vancouver, including Richmond, by Stop Anti-Asian Hate Crimes Advocacy Group (SAHCG) – will be sent to the offices of both Attorney General David Eby and the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth.
Standing Thursday across the street from the Steveston coffee shop where an allegedly racially motivated incident took place in March, SAHCG founder Ally Wang said although it seems there is still a long way to go to eliminate racism, the signatures are a sign the public is willing to be an ally in the battle.
On March 29, Richmond RCMP was called to Rocanini coffee shop in Steveston after the store manager reported an assault and racial slurs involving two customers.
The individuals involved in the incident have now been charged with mischief.
Recently-elected Richmond city councillor Andy Hobbs was also at Thursday event and said different levels of governments and RCMP have been working hard to combat racism,
Hobbs said that, sometimes, addressing hateful incidents isn’t just the responsibility of the authorities, but everyone.
“Just reaching out to your neighbours and friends, just reaching out to people you’ve never met. Sometimes just as simple as saying hey to people on the streets, that all contributes. Just reach out to support one another,” said Hobbs.
“It’s important for all of us to step forward and take action, such as intervene or take a photo. We all have a duty, we all have an obligation to our friends and neighours, our fellow citizens in Richmond.”
