About 30 people gathered on March 27 for two hours in downtown Sequim to stand in solidarity with the Asian-American community after recent hate crimes across the nation, including Atlanta, Ga.-area shootings on March 16.
Co-organizer Carlos Osorio said the rally was organized by the ANSWER Coalition, with similar events across the country geared toward bringing attention to rising anti-Asian sentiment and discrimination in regards to COVID-19 and foreign policy with China.
Rachel Anderson, a recent Sequim city council appointee, said she attended on her own and not as a city councilor to support the Asian-American community and to support abused women.
Anderson, who spoke about her past trauma and abuse, said she hopes “we can normalize that it’s OK to talk about abuse.”
Anderson added, “If I can say something that helps them feel more brave then maybe they won’t feel so alone in their trauma.”
Participants said about half of the group of speakers were victims of abuse and/or sexual assault.
Ryan Qualls of Port Angeles, with the Black Action Coalition and Sequim Good Governance League, told the crowd, “if we don’t talk about (racism) then it doesn’t exist; this is why I’m here.”
Osorio said the ANSWER Coalition sought organizers for nationwide events, and that the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) – Olympic Peninsula, consisting of three people answered the call and organized it. Like Anderson — who said she was unaware of PSL and its beliefs — the effort also saw support from several community members unaffiliated with the group who choose to participate to support the Asian-American community.
Osorio said issues such as racism and drug addiction aren’t truly addressed in a society driven by profits under capitalism. He added that to have equity, a profit driven society must be eliminated.
On March 27, about 30 people gathered in downtown Sequim in support of Asian-Americans. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash
