Chinese groups speak out on Liang's behalf
Chinese-American groups around the US are mobilizing in protest over the conviction of Peter Liang, a New York City police officer found guilty of manslaughter on Feb 11 in the shooting death of Akai Gurley in a Brooklyn stairwell in November 2014.
Prosecutors successfully argued that Liang, 28, a rookie, was reckless when he discharged his weapon at the housing project and did nothing to help Gurley, 28, who was on another floor when a bullet fired by Liang ricocheted and fatally struck him.
Supporters of Liang argue that the shooting was accidental and that he was scapegoated in the case because it was another instance of a black man dying at the hands of police in the US.
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New York City Police officer (NYPD) Peter Liang reacts as the verdict is read during his trial in court room at the Brooklyn Supreme court in the Brooklyn borough of New York on Feb 11. Mary Altaffer / Pool / Reuters |
Below are some of the efforts underway on behalf of Liang, who faces a maximum of 15 years in prison when he is sentenced on April 14.
NEW YORK
Weisheng Zhao, president of Lin Sing Association in New York
About 400 persons donated tens of thousands dollars within four days, and the amount of donations had been continuously increasing. More than 2,000 people had signed their names to a petition on behalf of Peter Liang to the US Supreme Court, and many of the petition signers were senior Chinese females.
We are very angry, and we should not stand by the judicial oppression. We want equal civil rights rather than ignorance. Liang's case was not just for himself, but for the whole Chinese-American community.
Lin Sing Association collected $40,000 for Liang's legal support for the trial. Four New York lawyers have volunteered to help Liang's petition.
John Chan, chairman of Asian Community Empowerment in Brooklyn
Our group has applied for a rally permit and plans to hold a parade at Cadman Plaza Park in Brooklyn on Feb 20.
Liang's case was an accident rather than a crime, and he appealed for more support from the Chinese community.
WASHINGTON
Ningping Feng, president of the Coordination Council of Chinese-American Associations (CCCAA), the largest organization serving the Chinese-American community in the greater Washington area
The Chinese-American community in Washington cares for and supports Peter Liang. Individuals have volunteered to set up a coordination group to organize a rally this weekend. We are sympathetic to Liang, and are willing to offer whatever help we can provide, such as donations and the hiring of lawyers to resolve the issue through legal channels. We hope society will pay attention to this case, and I hope racial prejudice is not a factor in the court decision.
Stan Tsai, president of the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association, Greater DC chapter
The Taiwanese community I am familiar with in the Greater Washington area are all in support of Peter Liang, and the organization I represent will definitely participate in the rally once the details are known. Right now, the organizers are using WeChat to disseminate information, but that platform is only popular among people with Chinese mainland background, so I hope they will also use other means such as emails to disseminate information about the rally.
Overall, people are confident in the US judicial system. But more or less there have been problems. Clearly this case is not more severe than other similar cases, but the sentencing is severe, and race could be a factor involved.
The outcome could also be different if the NYPD union had held a stronger stance in support of Liang.
SAN FRANCISCO
Meggie Luo, founder of Able2Shine, a non-profit organization dedicated to Asian Americans' advancement into mainstream arenas
The trial is unfair and that Chinese Americans need to fight for equality. In order not to fall victim to racial profiling in the future again, we need to unite and let our voice be heard. Fighting for Liang is to fight for Asian Americans themselves.
LOS ANGELES
Tian Wang, organizer of Los Angeles rally
It's a tragedy to both Akai Gurley and Peter Liang. Our deep condolences go to the family of Gurley for their loss. But his death does not justify Liang's conviction. Liang was green and lacked training, and it was an accident. I hope people are clear about one thing: Liang did not commit murder.
HOUSTON
Qing Mei, a real estate agent and co-organizer of the Houston rally
I am not able to judge if the conviction is right or wrong since I don't know all the facts and law, but I do feel that the judicial system did not treat Liang as it treated other police officers. While we mourn the death of the innocent victim, we also want the system to treat everyone equally.
I hope that by organizing the rally we can have a more united community and continue to fight for our rights in the future. It may take 10 or 20 years before Asians are treated equally, but we must keep trying to achieve that goal.
Xie Zhong, co-organizer of the Houston rally
Liang was treated differently due to his skin color, and the judgment against him is not fair. The rally is fighting not just for Peter Liang alone, but also for fair judicial treatment of us as minority in this country.
We are fighting for a fair system for our children in the future. I encourage people to join us on Feb 20 at the Galleria. As local organizer of a national event, I also encourage people to write to the judge on the behalf of and donate money for the cause of Peter Liang.
SEATTLE
Jimmy Liang, a rally organizer in Seattle
Peter Liang's case once again reminds us of how Asian-American people survive hardships and difficulties. We must unite and make sure that injustice won't continue again in our future generations. Please be sure to come to join us; your voice will be heard.
Phillip Yin, a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor of Washington state
As a Chinese American, my heart certainly goes out to Peter's family. The tragic case is complicated. Before any arguments about racial motivations, we should focus on the open justice.
Long Yifan contributed to this story.
