They gathered as a community in Montclair, New Jersey to support and remember the victims of anti-Asian hate and violence Sunday night.

News12 New Jersey reports hundreds came to the city’s Edgemont Memorial Park to honor those both killed and harmed in the community.

2,000 lanterns circled the lake and lit up the park as part of AAPI Montclaire’s annual Lantern Festival for Justice and Remembrance.

“The history of our Lantern for Justice Festival is really being rooted in a place of community and coming together to honor so many who have been impacted by racialized violence is so important and for me as one of the organizers to see the way our community comes together and has been so inspiring and really and really gives me hope,” said one of the event organizers, Danielle Iwata to the Daily Journal.

Live music, food trucks and activities for kids kept those in attendance busy through 9 p.m., the Montclaire Girl stated on her blog.

This is the fourth year of the event.

“It’s obviously near and dear to our heart,” said John Kneeland, of Glen Ridge. “Every time my wife goes into the city, it gives me low grade heart burn thinking about the things that might happen to her because of all the Asian hate stuff going on. The community standing up and saying ‘no more of that,’ is really nice to see.”

AsAmNews is published by the non-profit, Asian American Media Inc. Follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to support our efforts to produce diverse content about the AAPI communities. We are supported in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.

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