Protesters denouncing the plight of China’s Uyghur population clashed with marchers condemning the rise of anti-Asian violence in McPherson Square, Washington, D.C., on Sunday afternoon.
The moment was caught in a series of videos that have now gone viral on Twitter, drawing mixed reactions from social media users.
The videos show a pro-Uyghur parade spreading messages such as “Stop Uyghur Genocide,” “Hold China Accountable” and “Stand Up for Freedom for All.” Protesters also yelled, “F*ck China!”
One car had a banner that accused the Chinese Communist Party of killing 80 million Chinese people. Other vehicles displayed the flag of East Turkestan, the Uyghurs’ short-lived independent state now known as China’s autonomous region of Xinjiang.
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A group of Stop Asian Hate protesters gathered in the aftermath of last week’s Atlanta shootings. The protestors reportedly accused the pro-Uyghur parade of “racism” as it passed by.
“Really wild stuff downtown. A ‘Stop Asian Hate’ rally is clashing with a pro-Uighur drive by. The pro-Uighur group is shouting ‘F— China!’ The Asian rally is responding by calling them ‘racist,’” wrote Washington Examiner reporter Nic Rowan, who filmed the scenes.
The pro-Uyghur drive-by was organized by the Uyghur American Association, an affiliate organization of the World Uyghur Congress. In a statement, the group denied racism and explained that the event had been planned a month ago in honor of Nowruz, a festival celebrated by the Persian diaspora.
Meanwhile, the East Turkistan National Awakening Movement (ETNAM), another nonprofit, mentioned its conflict with China’s Communist Party but distanced itself from the event. It also denied “racism against any group.”
Feature Image Screenshots via Nic Rowan (@NicXTempore)
