Biden meets Asian-American community leaders in Atlanta after shootings

US president condemns race-related hate and urges Congress to pass the Covid-19 Hate Crimes bill

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spent Friday in Atlanta, Georgia, meeting members of the city's Asian-American community.

The city and community are reeling after eight people, including six Asian women, were killed by a gunman on Tuesday.

“Hate can have no safe harbour in America,” Mr Biden said, calling on Americans to stand up to bigotry when they see it.

“Our silence is complicity. We cannot be complicit.”

Mr Biden and Ms Harris were scheduled to visit Atlanta before the shooting, as part of their stimulus tour, and changed their plans to gather with community members, including state politicians.

“The president and I will not be silent," Ms Harris said. "We will not stand by. We will always speak out against violence, hate crimes and discrimination, wherever and whenever it occurs.”

Christopher Chan, the advisory board member of the Georgia chapter of the Asian American Action Fund, a committee that advocates for Asian-American and Pacific Islander political candidates, said he was pleased that the US leaders visited Atlanta.

"We're very grateful President Biden and Vice President Harris are here to acknowledge the violence in our community," Mr Chan said.

President Biden is urging Congress to pass the Covid-19 Hate Crimes bill as quickly as possible. The legislation would help the government and law enforcement better respond to the rising tide of hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Mr Biden and Ms Harris addressed the hate attacks that have occurred throughout the pandemic, condemning former president Donald Trump calling Covid-19 the "China virus", which they say has contributed to discrimination.

"We've always known words have consequences," Mr Biden said. "It is the 'coronavirus'. Full stop."

Ms Harris said: "For the last year, we've had people in positions of incredible power scapegoating Asian Americans, people with the biggest pulpits, spreading this kind of hate."

Since March 2020, the group STOP AAPI Hate, which tracks reports of hate and discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the US, has recorded more than 3,800 incidents of violence and crimes against these communities.

"There are simply some core values and beliefs that should bring us together as Americans," Mr Biden said. "One of them is standing together against hate, against racism"

While authorities in Georgia have said that it is possible the killings will not be deemed a hate crime as the gunman has said he committed the violence due to a "sexual addiction", Asian-American communities are in shock and mourning.

“We in the Asian-American community believe it would be a mistake because the killings seem to have been targeting women of Asian-American descent, particularly in view of the suspect's admitted sexual addiction,” said Mr Chan.

Earlier on Friday, the president issued a statement on behalf of himself and Jill Biden, the first lady, offering support to the Asian-American community.

"Jill and I share the nation's grief and outrage at the horrific killings of eight people, among them six Asian-American women, in Georgia on March 16," he said.

“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the ongoing crisis of gender-based and anti-Asian violence that has long plagued our nation."

Atlanta's Asian-American community has planned a rally for Saturday afternoon to show support for the victims of the shooting and to raise awareness of the fear many of them live with.