Rihanna Goes Incognito to #StopAsianHate Rallies in New York City

Photo: Tina Truong Instagram

Rihanna showed up at Stop Asian Hate rallies in New York City incognito, but her cover was blown when a man asked the “Umbrella” singer for her Instagram handle.

Though she enjoyed trolling a few people in the crowd, Rihanna, affectionately known as RiRi, was very serious about why she was there– to support New York City’s Asian community and bring awareness to the increase in hate crimes against Asians across the country.

The Bajan performer extraordinaire and entrepreneur, who is known for her activism, attended the events with her assistant Tina Truong who posted pictures of the two on her Instagram page.

Truong posted a series of photos and videos of Rihanna holding up a “Stop Asian Hate” sign and a video of the singer dancing in the street.

Rihanna’s appearance at the rallies comes weeks after she showed solidarity with the Asian community following a hate crime against Asian women in Atlanta.

In a March 18 Twitter post, the cosmetics mogul wrote, “AAPI hate has been rampantly perpetuated & it’s disgusting! I’m heartbroken for the Asian community & my heart is with the loved ones of those we lost. The hate must stop.”

On March 16, a man believed to have white supremacist ties went into two Asian-owned spas in Atlanta and murdered eight people. Six of his victims were Asian women of Korean descent.

Sunday’s rallies were held to show solidarity with the Asian community in New York City, where there has been an uptick in hate crimes against the community. The most recent incident was reported Saturday – the day before the rallies– by a 7-Eleven employee who said he was punched in the face and called a racial slur.

New York City has seen 35 Asian hate crimes reported this year so far compared to this time last year.