AAPI community and allies rally to stop anti-Asian hate

Hundreds of members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, and allies, marched and rallied over the weekend to demand that city officials and local police better address violence against the Asian American community in San Francisco.

Why it matters: Anti-AAPI violence has been on the rise since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. In 2021, anti-Asian hate crimes in San Francisco increased by 567% from the previous year.

• Zoom out: Between March 2020 and March 2022, Stop AAPI Hate counted nearly 11,500 hate crimes against Asian Americans nationwide.

Driving the news: This month, two members of the AAPI community were attacked within a week of each other.

• Gregory Chew, a 70-year-old former San Francisco arts commissioner, was punched and knocked to the ground last week. Police arrested and charged a suspect on Sunday.
• Just days before that incident, a 70-year-old woman was attacked and robbed outside her home.

What they're saying: "We must all do more to stop these attacks, and one way to deter violence like this is to send a strong message to would-be attackers that they'll be brought to justice in San Francisco," District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey said in a statement.

Context: Former SF District Attorney Chesa Boudin received much criticism for the way he responded to anti-Asian violence in the city, where attacks rarely led to hate crime charges.

• Last month, recently appointed DA Brooke Jenkins vowed to "bring all the bandits who attacked Asians and our community to justice."

What's next: The Asian Justice Movement, which organized Sunday's rally, demands that San Francisco Police Department chief Bill Scott schedule a town hall in Chinatown in the next 10 days to address the latest string of attacks.

• SFPD has acknowledged the group's demands and tells Axios the department, along with the DA's office, is working to set up an event.