Protesters rallied today at the Hawaii State Capitol with colorful signs declaring, “Say No! to Anti-Asian Racist Terror!” for the “Stop Asian Hate Rally and March,” in the wake of the recent deadly Atlanta spa shootings.

A white man was charged with shooting and killing six women of Asian descent and two other people at Atlanta-area spas. The shootings have sparked outrage and rallies in Georgia and across the country to denounce racism, xenophobia and misogyny.

Today’s event included a march from the state Capitol through Chinatown and returned to the Capitol with a rally in front of the Father Damien Memorial statue. The event began at 10 a.m. with the goal of supporting those impacted by racism and misogyny.

“The organizers hope to create a safe space for grieving and healing, as well as to build support in Hawaiʻi for several pieces of legislation at the state and federal level that would combat the rise of White Nationalist extremism and hate crimes against minorities and women. The organizers would also like to see racism and White Supremacy declared a public health emergency in Hawaiʻi,” according to a news release.

Today’s speakers included community organizers and state lawmakers including Sen. Stanley Chang, Rep. Adrian Tam and Miss Hawaii USA 2021 Allison Chu.