A spike in harassment of Asian-Americans since the coronavirus pandemic began has led community activists in the United States to fight back — forming street patrols, rallying on social media, and supporting each other online.

Nine out of 10 victims have been targeted because of their race, with 37 per cent of incidents taking place in public areas, according to Reuters.

Verbal harassment and shunning occurred in over 90pc of the cases. Victims were physically assaulted, or coughed or spat on, in some 15pc of cases.

In some Chinatowns, volunteer patrols are forming to protect residents and confront harassers. The Guardian Angels, with patrols in over 130 cities worldwide, are recruiting in US Asian communities for the first time in 41 years.

Hashtags like #RacismIsAVirus and #UnapologeticallyAsian are being shared and printed on T-shirts.

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