Rihanna marched in solidarity with the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community by attending a Stop Asian Hate rally in New York City on Easter Sunday (April 4).
Her assistant Tina Truong posted pictures of the two attending the protest on her Instagram, writing, “This is what solidarity looks like! #stopaapihate #stopasianhate #callitahatecrime.” She also shared shots of the Bajan pop superstar, who looked unrecognizable with her black baseball cap, sunglasses, face mask, and outfit, decorating and dancing around with her sign, the hot pink side reading, “#StopAsianHate” and the neon green flip side reading, “Hate = Racism Against God!”
Truong later shared a video of Rihanna giving out her Instagram handle to one of the march’s attendees, much to his disbelief when he discovered @badgalriri and her 93.8 million followers. “When Rih gives you her IG handle but you think she trolling,” Truong wrote underneath, as the man is heard asking, “That’s you?”
The ANTI artist condemned anti-Asian violence in the midst of the Atlanta area shootings on March 16 that left eight people dead, six of whom were women of Asian descent. “What happened yesterday in Atlanta was brutal, tragic & is certainly not an isolated incident by any means,” Rihanna tweeted. “AAPI hate has been rampantly perpetuated & it’s disgusting! I’m heartbroken for the Asian community & my heart is with the loved ones of those we lost. The hate must stop.”
New York, where the protest took place, has seen more anti-Asian hate crimes occur over the last few weekends, including a 26-year-old 7-Eleven worker of Asian descent who was punched in the face while working on Saturday. On March 27, a 35-year-old Asian man, who was with his wife and 5-year-old son, was sucker punched in broad daylight in Central Park. A 65-year-old Asian American woman was brutally punched and kicked while on her way to church on March 29. ABC7 New York reported there have been at least 33 anti-Asian hate crimes in New York City already in 2021, according to police.
Watch RiRi attend the #StopAsianHate protest below.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of anti-Asian bias or violence, the resources below are available to help or provide information: Stand Against Hatred, Asian Americans Advancing Justice — Atlanta chapter, #StopAsianHate, Support the AAPI Community Fund, CommUNITY Action Fund and Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund.
