HUNDREDS of residents, business owners and employees in Chinatown, on the South Side of Chicago, United States, staged a two-hour silence protest this afternoon against increasing crime targeted at local residents and businesses.

Businesses in Chinatown closed for two hours as the protesters walked around Chinatown in silence, holding banners saying “Crime is Crime” and “Stop Asian Hate”, according to Xinhua.

A flyer circulated to bystanders read: “The community we once lived and worked in peace is now shrouded in fear and danger. In a country known for the American dream and freedom, our lives and property are under unprecedented threat. By keeping our heads down and hoping for the best, our situation will not change.”

The flyer called on people to display their frustrations and get united. “When our voices are ignored, we can express our protest in silence.”

In the latter half of this year, robbery, carjacking, smashing of businesses’ doors and windows for burglary have become normal and even everyday events in Chinatown. On December 9, a 71-year-old man of Chinese origin was shot 22 times in broad daylight.

Jack Lavin, president and CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, said in mid-December that Chicago was “at a crossroads” because of rising crime and “skyrocketing” commercial property taxes. “Crime is paramount, so is the perception of public safety, and the rampant fear that Chicago is no longer a safe place to live, work, shop and visit,” he said.

According to city data, Chicago tops the nation in violent deaths so far in 2021, with homicides in the city topping 780, up nearly 60% from 2019, the year before the current national wave of urban violence began.

By December 14, at least 4,328 people had been shot in Chicago in 2021, compared to 4,013 shooting victims in 2020 and 2,556 in 2019. Carjackings went up 31% from last year’s troubling levels, from 1,303 to 1,707. In 2019, Chicago recorded 554 carjackings during the same period. – Bernama, December 28, 2021.