Stop Asian hate rally in Ottawa one of many across the country

A small vigil was held over the weekend at Minto Park in Ottawa to honour the victims of a mass shooting in Atlanta. 

Organizers say they hope their actions will challenge the police, media, government, and other institutions that have perpetuated oppression. 

Six Asian women at three different massage parlours were killed in Atlanta by a gunman earlier this month. 

To avoid large crowds, attendees at the Ottawa vigil were asked to show up at any point between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., Sunday afternoon. 

In January, the City of Ottawa launched an anti-Asian racism campaign, after a year in which reports of hate incidents targeting Asian residents spiked dramatically. The Ottawa Police Service Hate and Bias Crime Unit received 15 reports of hate incidents against people of Asian descent in 2020, compared to two reports in 2019.

A number of Canadian cities saw anti-Asian racism rallies take place on Sunday, the largest of which was in Toronto.