COLUMBUS, Ohio — Across the nation, vigils and rallies were held to remember the victims in a deadly shooting rampage in Atlanta this past week.
The focus of the vigils is the demand to stop hate against Asian people in America.
In Georgia, hundreds showed up to support the victims, most of whom were women and of Asian-American descent, killed during an attack on three different spas on Tuesday.
People in central Ohio rallied Saturday in Bicentennial Park to mourn the victims and to call for change.
"I was in shock," said Abby Bogard, who attended Saturday's rally.
"I was heart broken," said Sam Shim, of the Asian American and Pacific Islander American Caucus. Shim is also the first elected Asian-American official in Columbus.
Sen. Tina Maharath, Minority Whip for the Ohio Senate, said, "These last couple of days I've been broken. I've been speechless. I've been in tears. I've been disheartened because I can't believe another person of color gone, taken off this earth."
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther also spoke during Saturday's rally. "Fighting racism against Asian-Americans isn't the Asian-American community's responsibility. It's all of our responsibility."
Bogard also said, "I hope that we will all be accepted for who we are. And be equally treated and not have hate. We are tired of being quiet. We are tired of going through this hurt between all of us and we want change. We are tired of being quiet. We are tired of going through this hurt between all of us and we want change."
"It exists. It happens. And white supremacy is not going to prevail. I'm here to ensure Ohioans and their state senate district that there is no room for racism, not here in this district not here in this state and not in this country," Sen. Maharath said. "After this I want to see legislative movement over in the general assembly that way we can ensure that racism is a public health crisis and to acknowledge that racism is very much still alive here."
"We've been harassed, we've been intimidated and attacked over the past year. There has been hateful rhetoric such as the China-virus directed at us," Shim said. "Silence is no longer an option."