Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, CL, Pharrell, Janet Jackson, and a myriad of other musicians have joined the growing list of voices against rising anti-Asian violence affecting various communities across the United States. The coalition of artists and others gathered together following the Tuesday shooting rampage in Atlanta, where six of the dead were women of Asian descent.
“What happened yesterday in Atlanta was brutal, tragic & is certainly not an isolated incident by any means,” wrote Rihanna. “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.” Adding to the outrage Pharrell stated, “Enough is enough. Last night was another instance of innocent lives lost to domestic terrorism. We must protect our Asian brothers and sisters… Stop Asian Hate now.”
Timberlake took to Twitter with a statement from the NAACP condemning the killings, which they called “A disgusting and disturbing example of how the spread of domestic terrorism has been allowed to torment communities.” White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki weighed in on the subject by supporting the narrative that former President Trump’s catchy phrases to describe COVID-19’s country of origin caused many (of his) supporters to commit crimes against people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent.
In response to the assumption that the Spa shooting was racially motivated, the alleged perpetrator of the crime admitted to taking action because of a “sexual addiction” that he has in connection with massage parlors. Cherokee County sheriff’s Captain Jay Baker told reporters that “He apparently has an issue, what he considers a sex addiction, and sees these locations as something that allows him to go to these places, and it’s a temptation for him that he wanted to eliminate.” Additionally, Sheriff Frank Reynolds states that it was too early to tell if the attack was racially motivated — “but the indicators right now are it may not be.”
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Photo: celebrityabc