Oakland Mayor Blames Crime Wave Against Asians on Defunded Police; Black and Asian Activists Disagree
On 2/11/21 at 9:51 AM EST
As Asian Americans reel from a recent string of attacks in the Bay Area, some in Oakland have accused the city of pitting them against the Black population.
At a press conference in Chinatown, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf addressed the series of robberies and assaults targeting elderly members of the Asian American community. But her remarks quickly drew criticism when she blamed the violent incidences on defunding the police and budget cuts made to public safety, pointing a finger specifically to City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas.
Bay Area Asian Americans Targeted By Attacks, Robberies - Dublin, CA - About 700 cases of racism and discrimination against Asian Americans occurred between March 19 and the end of 2020.
Community groups denounce violence toward Asian Americans in Bay Area and beyond
KGO
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) When a large, black hearse rolled into Colma s Woodlawn Funeral Home, it marked the end of a long, dignified life taken in the midst of an agonizing racial crisis. I want to talk about what the problem really is. To tell the truth, said Eric Lawson, the son-in-law of 84-year-old Vichan Ratanapakdee, who died after being attacked in Francisco s Anza Vista neighborhood. The community should be able to feel safe walking down the street, said Lawson.
That has not been possible, recently.
Today, eight different Asian community groups denounced hundreds of attacks locally and thousands nationally in the last year, and before that, even.