Bay Area Residents Encouraged to Attend Next Week Concord, CA—A candlelight vigil will be held to show support for the Anands, a Sikh American family residing in Concord, who had their home robbed and burned down in a confirmed act of arson in September. Community members are encouraged to sign a petition and attend the vigil, which will be held on the evening of Wednesday, November 17 (details below). This vigil is being organized by “The Justice for the Anand Family Coalition,” a coalition of legal and civil rights organizations comprised of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the Asian Law Caucus, the South Asian Bar Association (SABA) and Narika. The Anand family and this coalition believes these crimes were motivated by hate. While the events have been investigated and the suspect identified, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has not yet filed any charges. The vigil also presents the coalition an opportunity to update the community and the media about the status is this case. The coalition urges all concerned community members to attend this event and show support for the Anand family. SALDEF, the oldest national Sikh American civil rights organization (formerly known as SMART), has been working with the Anand family since learning about these crimes. If you have any questions about this vigil, please email SALDEF at info@saldef.org or call 202-393-2700 Ext. 29. WHEN: Wednesday, November 17, 2004 TIME: 7:30 – 830 p.m. WHERE: 1356 Babel Lane (the site of the Anand Family’s burned home) Concord, California
