Joanne Wangs father, Jack Wang, and a family member during the march. Photo / Herald on Sunday
The organisers of yesterday's protest against anti-Asian violence are claiming to have made history with the turnout.
An estimated 15,000 New Zealanders Chinese, Koreans, Japanese and Indians braved hail storms to march single-file along 2.5km of Ti Rakau Drive in East Auckland, carrying placards and banners.
The protest
was organised by the Asian Anti-Crime Group, which is lobbying Parliament for tougher sentences after three homicides involving Asian victims in the past month.
Protest organiser and group founder Peter Law said Asian people were being ignored by the police and the march "probably made history".
"We have never had a protest of this size involving the Asian community and so I hope we are heard today," said Law. "This is not only about crime, it is about the poor justice system that breeds criminals and ignores the needs of the victims.
"We are not currently safe in New Zealand."
All three deaths were in South Auckland. Dairy owner Navtej Singh, 30, was fatally shot in his shop, 80-year-old Yan Ping Yang died three days after being attacked in her home and Joanne Wang, 39, died after being run down in a shopping mall carpark.
Wang's family distributed a letter at the rally thanking their supporters but urging the Government to increase penalties for those convicted of crimes.
"The leniency of the law is the main reason that criminals could be this careless and reckless," wrote her parents Jack Wang and Lily Wu, husband Allen Huang, and brothers Qing and Jie Wang.
"[Joanne's] tragic death screams for action from society and the Government," they said.
