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Nichi Bei Weekly — Protesters gathered at the “Stand for Freedom March and Rally” in New York City on Dec. 10, the United Nations Human Rights Day.

A coalition of more than 150 civil rights and community organizations led the rally in response to the recent national sweep of proposed voter identification laws that the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) said is “likely to disenfranchise voters of color.”

After monitoring elections for more than two decades, the organization has seen that Asian Americans are “disenfranchised by voter identification laws, anti-Asian bias at poll sites, and poor enforcement of the Voting Rights Act’s language assistance provisions,” Margaret Fung, AALDEF executive director said in a statement issued Dec. 8.

“At a time when Asian Americans are more politically engaged than ever, we need to ensure that all Americans, especially new citizens, are able to exercise their fundamental right to vote.”

“If these proposals are not defeated, Asian Americans and other communities of color will face new discriminatory obstacles to voting.”

The Rev. Al Sharpton, civil rights activist/founder of National Action Network, and Fung, were among the event’s speakers.

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Image credit: Sykes Global Communications