UW-Madison, Wisconsin students lead stop Asian hate march after PhD student injured in attack
MADISON, Wis. -- An attack Madison, Wisconsin police believe was random left a University of Wisconsin PhD student injured.
It happened just off campus Tuesday night on Gilman Street near the intersection with University Avenue, WISC reported.
Tuesday's attack was the third of its kind to happen in the downtown area within the past week.
Detectives said they believe the same group was involved in all of them.
Police don't believe the attack was racially motivated, but many people on campus and in the community feel otherwise.
Stepping outside of their comfort zone onto State Street in protest, activists said "Stop Asian hate. Spread human love."
"It really makes me feel unsafe walking on campus," one protester said.
"I know how tremendously difficult it is for our students to come forward and share their stories, to organize something like this that is not always culturally appropriate in their home countries," said Samantha McCabe, director of International Student Services at UW-Madison.
Madison international students marched with hundreds following reports of an attack involving a UW PhD student.
"To promote the knowledge of this but also to call for action against Asian hate," another protester said.
Organizers are demanding to see more action from the university.
"We didn't receive any of the WisAlerts we typically receive," she said. "We ask that the university add the education about racial events."
Marching alongside the group were members of the school's International Student Services.
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"These assaults continue to bubble up, and since that brave PhD student came forward, came with their story, we've heard several others come up," McCabe said.
They said what makes these attacks especially tough is that their students, so far away from home, don't have the support system most others on campus do.
"It's very difficult to also then be in a position to explain to students and their families, who remain overseas, how the U.S. legal system works," she said.
But, to start, they're doing what they can to help one another.
In a statement, UW officials said they are aware of these recent acts of violence, but have no evidence to suggest they were driven by race.
They also said, to make sure everyone on campus feels safe, they know they still have more work to do.
