Appeal for peace: Hundreds hold vigil at Union Square seeking justice for Asian hate crime victims

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A few hundred New Yorkers gathered in Union Square on Friday night for a peace vigil to remember the lives of the eight victims who were shot and killed — six of whom were Asian women — in Atlanta on March 16.

A slew of elected officials and community organizers spoke to the crowd at the vigil organized by the Asian American Federation. Their comments, at times, drew cheers when they called on authorities to label the heinous murders a hate crime.