A candlelight vigil was held Sunday night in Cranford to pay respect to the victims after eight people were killed last week in Atlanta. The majority of the victims were Asian.

The victims were all memorialized by community members and a local organization called the Cranford Unity Project.

"Our Asian community needs to feel supported, needs to feel heard and know that other people are suffering for them and seeing what they are going through and wanting to let them know that they are not alone,” says Patricia Maclean, with the Cranford Unity Project.

The group called for support of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in light of recent violence against Asian Americans that has continued to be seen throughout the coronavirus pandemic, and put on display in Atlanta.

"We can't just be silent, we have to talk to not just crowds, but we have to talk to one another we have to talk to our children,” says Mayor Kathleen Prunty.

#StopAsianHate has become more than just a hashtag. The Cranford Unity Project wanted to ensure the Asian American community feels the full weight of their support. It’s been used as Asian Americans have been victims of verbal and physical attacks, and wrongfully associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.