Rafu Staff Report
A “Stop Asian Hate” march and rally were held Saturday outside a 99 Ranch Market in Rowland Heights, where an Asian couple was assaulted and robbed in the parking lot a week earlier.
Police said an Asian couple was loading groceries into their car when they were pistol-whipped by two men, who stole the man’s Rolex watch, valued at $60,000. Described as two men 25 to 30 years old, wearing black hoodies and gray sweatpants, and armed with handguns, the suspects escaped in a white Dodge Challenger with a black rear spoiler.
The attack was caught on surveillance video, which has been posted on social media. Investigators believe the suspects may have come from outside the Rowland Heights area. The man received head injuries and was treated at a hospital.
Protesters carried signs that read, “Tough on Crimes Now,” “Proud to Be Asian — Stop Asian Hate,” “Together Against Crime,” “When Asians Get Attacked, Stand Up, Fight Back!” “Shut Down Hate,” “Silence = Violence,” and “Unity Against Hate,” among other slogans.
Participating organizations included Hacienda Heights Chinese American Association, Asians with Attitude, and Seniors Fight Back.
“There’s been over 10,000 attacks reported against the AAPI community and it’s hard to believe that it wasn’t targeted toward the Asian community, especially with everything that’s happening right now,” Hong Lee, president of Seniors Fight Back, told CBS Los Angeles.
Many of the assaults against Asian Americans across the country during the pandemic have been against the elderly, some of whom died from their injuries.
Naomi Hom, an organizer of the rally, told KTLA 5 that the goal was “to stand as a younger generation at the sides of our elders and let them know that we’re not going to put up with these attacks anymore. And the biggest purpose, I think, is to break that generational belief, especially as an AAPI community, of keeping your head down and staying quiet when something like this happens … to not make waves.”
The Roques, a Filipino American family that was recently the target of an anti-Asian attack in North Hollywood, was represented at the rally. In that incident, which also was recorded on video, the assailant has been arrested.
Photos by MICHAEL KOMAI/Rafu Shimpo