On Sunday, San Francisco's Chinatown community was set to usher in the Year of the Rabbit but the happy festivities were marred by a mass shooting in Southern California.
Traditional Lunar New Year celebrations are usually pretty loud, with drums and cymbals and people lighting firecrackers on sidewalks but Sunday's event in San Francisco's Portsmouth Square actually began with a moment of silence, as requested by Mayor London Breed.
Tradition says the Year of the Rabbit is marked by kindness and mercy. Benson Louie said there is a different feeling now. Louie is a member of Leung's White Crane Studio, the group that presented the morning's Dragon Dance. Louie says they've already had one cancellation as a result of the shock from the tragedy.
This was supposed to be a moment of rebirth, not just for a new year, but for Chinatown in general. The business district was hit hard by hysteria over the pandemic so fear over gun violence is something no one here wants. At Sunday's Lunar New Year event, SFPD assistant chief David Lazar tried to reassure the community.
Despite the fact the shooting happened in a crowded environment, San Francisco resident Therese Liwanag said she still feels comfort in numbers.
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