Asian American city councilman who had concrete block dropped on his head calls for end to hate crimes

An Asian American city councilman who had a concrete block dropped on his head last week called for an end to hate crimes and racially motivated violence.

Anders Fung, a councilman in the city of Millbrae, which is north of San Francisco, said he received a two-inch laceration on his head as well as a neck injury after two men in hoodies dropped a concrete block on him during a hike with his family Saturday evening in the San Francisco area.

“All senseless violence and hateful acts must stop,” Fung wrote on Sunday. “As a community, public safety is paramount to our collective success. We must stand firm against all senseless violence and hate. Our people deserve a safe living environment.”

Fung told NBC Bay Area he believed at first the attack was an accident, but then the assailants kept throwing rocks and other objects at him. When his family approached the suspects, they gave them an obscene hand gesture.

“I was just walking in the area with my family. Just like anybody else, just like any other member of our community. Just recreating in an area that believed we should feel safe. And yet, this happens,” he told the local outlet.

U.S. Park Police responded to the scene and are investigating the attack, according to Fung. While the city councilman believes the attack was racially motivated, police are still searching for the suspects and have not identified a motive.

The Hill has reached out to U.S. Park Police for comment.

The assault follows a rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans since the start of the pandemic. President Biden signed into law last year a bill aiming to combat hate crimes, which specifically addresses the rise of anti-Asian attacks.

Prosecutors and police have also been working diligently to crack down on the rise in violent hate crimes.

Last month, a man pleaded guilty to attacking an Asian family in Washington, D.C., in an assault that took place last year. He reportedly shouted “You are not American” at the family and “Go back to your country.”

Another man accused of attacking seven women in New York was also indicted on hate crime charges in April.