Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn(left) talks with Chinatown business leaders(bostonese.com file photo).
September 15, 2026
Dear Mayor Wu and Commissioner Cox,
I am writing today to follow up on my September 3rd letter regarding an unprovoked violent assault on a Chinese woman in the South End on Wednesday, September 2. Yesterday, I met the victim at her home. She described this horrific and traumatic event in which she was pushed down with full force in the middle of the street, with the very real concern and potential for being run over by vehicular traffic. After speaking with her, it’s clear to me that this was a hate crime and it’s imperative that the City of Boston and the Boston Police investigate this violent assault as such.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a hate crime is a standard criminal offense, including assault and vandalism, that is motivated in whole or in part by prejudice against a characteristic of the victim. Protected groups under hate crime laws include race, religion, and disability status. In this case, the victim was an elderly Chinese woman, and the attack was unexpected.
Targeting our seniors is never acceptable. We must always strive to live in a city and country where civil rights and human rights are protected and respected. As a result, I’m respectfully requesting the Boston Police Department and the Boston Human Rights Commission to investigate this unprovoked attack on an elderly woman as a hate crime and civil rights violation. To commit senseless acts of violence against neighbors on account of their race, violence against women, and attacks on our seniors – that is not who we are. In no way does that represent our values in the City of Boston.
Sincerely,
Ed Flynn
Boston City Councilor, U.S. Navy (Retired)