San Antonio – The San Antonio City Council unanimously passed a resolution Thursday denouncing bigotry, antisemitism and “hateful speech” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The resolution, which was put forward by Mayor Ron Nirenberg, states that hate crimes, discrimination, and aggression against Asians and Jews are on the rise as the groups are blamed for the disease’s outbreak and spread. The city is committed, the resolution reads, “the safety and well-being of all community members, including the Asian and Jewish communities, and in combatting hate crimes targeting Asians, Jews and Pacific Islanders.”
The resolution also states that the use of terms like “Chinese Virus” or “Kung Fu virus” encourage hate crimes and incidents against Asians as well as spread misinformation. Meanwhile, it says, the Jewish community has been targeted with blame and conspiracy theories regarding the disease.
“We’ve seen incidents that are clearly racist in nature all around this country, and we’ve even seen some incidents here. But this is really about standing in solidarity with all the members of our community,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg told reporters following the vote.
Read the full resolution here: