BTS have taken to social media to speak out against anti-Asian racism.

The K-pop group released a statement on Twitter today (March 30) in response to the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes in the US.

“We send our deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. We feel grief and anger,” they wrote. “We cannot put into words the pain of becoming the subject of hatred and violence for such reason. Our own experiences are inconsequential compared to the events that have occurred over the past few weeks. But these experiences are enough to make us feel powerless and chip away our self-esteem.”

They added: “We have endured expletives without reason and were mocked for the way we look. We were even asked why Asians spoke in English. What is happening right now cannot be disassociated from our identity as Asians.”

“You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together,” they concluded.

The latest #StopAsianHate protests follow the murder of eight people in Atlanta on March 16 – the first of two tragic mass shootings in the US in the space of just one week. The Atlanta attacks took place at three Asian-run businesses in the city. Six of the eight victims were Asian women and four were of Korean descent.

Earlier this month, K-pop stars including 2NE1 member CL, Epik High‘s Tablo, and Korean-American singer Eric Nam also took to social media to voice their support for the #StopAsianHate movement.

Last year, BTS voiced their support of the Black Lives Matter movement against racism and police brutality following George Floyd’s murder in May. They donated $1 million to organisations fighting for racial equality, prompting their stans – AKA the BTS Army – to match their donation via a Twitter campaign.

You can find a list of anti-Asian hate resources and organisations to support here.