Running to Protest
An Essay by Linda S. Chan
Over the last year there have been many protests and many runs to protest. Thanks to leaders like @thatcoffeeboy and @powermalu the running community has come together to support marginalized groups that found themselves increasingly victimized by racism, even unjustly killed. During this time the pandemic raged. Fearing bringing Covid-19 home to my mother, I stayed away from the protests and any gatherings. Finally, in the last month, my mother was able to be fully vaccinated. While I still have concerns about contracting Covid-19, it was time to join a run to protest. Never did I imagine that the run I would join would be one following incidents of violence and hate spurned by racism against people who look like me – people of Asian descent.
A man with his child at Union Square
There is probably no minority person that does not have a story of being the target of some act of hate – being subjected to a racial slur or being spat on or worse. However, over the last year there have been more and more reports of crimes against Asian Americans throughout the country, and exponentially more in 2021. Many of these crimes have been acts of violence committed against the elderly and women in Asian communities. Most recently in Georgia, a man went on a killing spree targeting Asian women who worked in massage parlors. Even as I was planning out what I would be wearing to the protest run, there was a report of a 66 year old Asian man who was punched in the face in Chinatown by a man hurling Asian slurs.
Linda, Lisa, and Wynnie at Union Square
From an Instagram post and word of mouth, we all gathered Sunday morning in Union Square. Will Ngo (he/him) led a group to run to Union Square from GAP. I took the train there and as 10AM approached, a large group began to assemble. I met up with Wynnie (she/her) and Lisa (she/her), whom I met just one week prior at a Chinatown Runners’ run to Sunset Park to support the Chinese community. By 10AM there was a large crowd in Union Square and many signs raised to protest the hate. It was nice to see so many people come out to support the Asian community. Many of my friends in the running community were there. PPTC was there.
One of the group of PPTC runners. Photo by William Ngo
At some point a large group started out east on 14th Street and I joined them – I somehow lost my friends and teammates, but I was not alone. This was not a run, but very much a solidarity walk. We stopped traffic as we went on. Drivers honked their horns, not to complain about being blocked, but to show their support. Chants were started at different points as we proceeded east.
People of all ages and races were part of this run. People in restaurants, stores, and apartments shouted their support. I would join in the chants, but often held back for fear that the crack in my voice would lead to a river of tears. Recently, I have had so much fear of being victimized and even more fear that my loved ones would be victimized. There has been so much fear and pain that so many people Black, Brown, and Asian, have felt for so long – all these people feel it or understand what we feel. These people want there to be change.
We were supposed to be going to Chinatown to join the 1PM rally at Columbus Park, but as we were approaching the FDR, the front of the group said to turn back and that we were going to Washington Square Park. It was a beautiful sunny day and we all went back west and south to Washington Square Park. At Washington Square Park, the group assembled and there was a rally --- more chants, more signs. At this point, I texted and called friends to see where they were. We discovered that there were a number of different groups. The group I was supposed to be with was still in Union Square where people were speaking against the anti-Asian hate, but they were going to be going down to Columbus Park later. Starving and not really able to hear what was going on at Washington Square Park, I decided to head down to Chinatown where I was hoping to meet up with my friends in yet another group that had run straight down to Columbus Park.
The crew at Columbus Park
Vernon (he/him) was in the group I was in and was running back and forth to make up some mileage – he was the one that told me that there was still a large group in Union Square. I stopped at REI for a break before heading down to Chinatown and Vernon caught up with me and together we walked to Chinatown. There, I met up with Wynnie and Lisa in Columbus Park and yet more runners that I had met last week. It was a struggle to hear what was being said, but there was a distinct feeling of community and support. Columbus Park began to grow more crowded and I had to start making my way home to attend a Zoom memorial.
Seeing so many people rallying together to protest the hate and join in chants of “Black lives matter. Asian lives matter. Our lives matter.” was uplifting and inspires some hope for better days. But the reality is that some PPTC runners who ran to Columbus Park had eggs thrown at them by someone in the building just across the street from the park. Our world is full of hate and we have to continue fighting against it. We need to educate ourselves about what those who don’t look like us, who haven’t had the same advantages we have had, or who are just different from us in other ways, may be going through. We need to have empathy and compassion and work together to make positive change. Thank you to those who joined in runs to protest and who have shown their support and understanding in other ways. Let’s work together to make this world a better place.
If you’re looking for materials and resources to educate yourself about the diverse world we live in and how you can support others and make change, check out PPTC’s website.
PPTC is a diverse and supportive team. We want to celebrate the diversity of our club and membership. We welcome and encourage everyone to share their stories with us.
Text by: Linda S. Chan (she/her)
Photos: Linda S. Chan, except as noted
Edited by: Rachael De Palma (she/her) and Donna Newton (she/her)
Produced by: Linda S. Chan