BTS, the seven-member South Korean pop group with one of many world’s most ravenous fanbases, visited the White Home on Tuesday to deal with the rise in hate crimes and different acts of discrimination in opposition to Asian People.
The band, also called the Bangtan Boys, participated in a press briefing with White Home Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre earlier than assembly with President Joe Biden.
“We had been devastated by the current surge of hate crimes, together with Asian American hate crimes,” BTS vocalist Jimin stated from the rostrum, as conveyed by an interpreter. “To place a tricky cease on this and help the trigger, we’d wish to take this chance to voice ourselves as soon as once more to say we're right here as we speak due to our military ― our followers worldwide ― who've completely different nationalities and cultures and use completely different languages. We're actually and all the time grateful.”
Hate crimes concentrating on Asian People skyrocketed in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, which former President Donald Trump repeatedly known as “the China virus,” “kung flu” and different racist names due to its origins in Asia. A report printed by the Heart for the Research of Hate and Extremism earlier this yr discovered that anti-Asian hate crimes jumped by 339 % in 2021 in comparison with the yr earlier than.
“We hope as we speak is one step ahead to respecting and understanding each one as a precious particular person,” BTS vocalist V stated via the interpreter.
A whole bunch of Okay-pop followers assembled outdoors the White Home gates in the course of the press briefing, chanting the band’s identify. Greater than a quarter-million folks reportedly tuned into to the White Home stream of the occasion on YouTube.
White Home Nationwide Financial Council director Brian Deese adopted BTS at Tuesday’s press convention, jokingly boasting: “OK. So I get to go dwelling and inform my children that BTS opened for me. I didn't count on that after I wakened this morning.”
Although BTS’ administration maintains tight management of the group’s public picture, statements and politics, the band broke from conference in 2020 and spoke out in help of the Black Lives Matter motion and donated $1 million to the trigger.
“We stand in opposition to racial discrimination. We condemn violence. You, I and all of us have the fitting to be revered. We are going to stand collectively,” BTS tweeted following the homicide of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis.
BTS’s followers are additionally aggressive about combatting racist actions within the U.S., frequently strategizing to overhaul hashtags selling white supremacy and QAnon conspiracy theories.
“They acquired overwhelmed at their very own sport by Korean pop followers,” Mike Rothschild, a conspiracy idea researcher, instructed Bloomberg in regards to the phenomenon in 2020. “I’d by no means seen something prefer it earlier than.”
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