As in some 40 other cities, the mostly ethnic-Chinese community will gather in front of the Washington Monument on the morning of Feb 20 in a rally to support New York City police officer Peter Liang, whose manslaughter conviction was seen by many as unfair.

Liang, a 28-year-old rookie NYPD officer, was found guilty on Feb 11 by a Brooklyn jury of second-degree manslaughter and official misconduct in the 2014 shooting of Akai Gurley, an unarmed black man, in a Brooking housing project.

The manslaughter charge carries up to 15 years in jail. A sentencing will be announced on April 14. Liang plans to appeal the verdict.

Members of the Greater Washington for Peter Liang Coordination Group observe a moment of silence for Akai Gurley on Wednesday at a press conference announcing a Feb 20 rally in Washington. Chen Weihua / China Daily

The conviction last week caused a great stir in the Chinese community across the US.

Shuigen Xiao, head of the Greater Washington for Peter Liang Coordination Group, a new voluntary organization, described both Gurley and Liang as victims.

Xiao said he hoped the rallies in Washington and other US cities on Feb 20 would warrant a fairer treatment for Liang. "We hope public concern about the case will help ensure a just legal proceeding," he told a news conference on Wednesday in Fairfax, Virginia.

Xiao believes public donations will also help Liang in the subsequent legal processes.

Part of the money collected will be handed over to Gurley's family. The rally will also observe a moment of silence to express condolences for the young man.

Organizers of the Washington rally said they plan to reach out to the African-American community and other communities to join the rally.

Alex Zhong, a member of the coordination group, believes the rallies will have a profound significance for the Asian-American community in terms of equal treatment.

Wenming Kuai, also a member of the coordination group, said the NYPD and the city's Housing Committee should also be held responsible for the accident.

"It's unfair to let Liang take all the blame," Kuai said.

The stairwell of the Brooklyn housing project where the shooting took place was dark and a scene of previous crimes.

Vincent Wong, a member of the coordination group, expressed that some in the African-American community support the rally. Wong went to a local store to print rally posters, and a black woman staff member saw the posters and printed extra copies for him free of charge.

Organizers are not sure how many people will turn out for the rally. But they estimated it could be several thousand, perhaps as many as 10,000, on a sunny morning when the temperature is expected to be in the 60s.

While others are preparing for protests, some from the Chinese community are looking to support Liang's legal defense. New York City lawyer Hugh Mo said he's gotten warm messages from individuals who want to help.

Mo, a former New York City deputy police commissioner and now a defense attorney, said that a graduate of Tsinghua University who's working in the US e-mailed him, saying he's willing to pay $100,000 to hire Mo as Liang's lawyer. He has even received calls from Canada, and a Chinese law school student offered to do background research for Mo on the case.

"I'm very heartened by the fact that the Chinese community has come out to support and very touched by these people who want to contribute to his legal defense, who want their voice to be heard, and also want to make a difference. I think it's a noble spirit, a noble gesture," said Mo.

However, he said he was not going to reach out to Liang, because he said it's unethical for a lawyer to convince a client to take his services.

Liang has hired private attorneys Robert Brown and Rae Koshetz to handle his case instead of the lawyer appointed for him by the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, the largest police union.

Mo expects Liang's lawyers to do a post-judgment motion for a mistrial or reduced charges, and then will come the sentencing and appeal.

"Peter also has to step up. I know he's traumatized, but he has to speak up," Mo said. He suggests Liang publicly apologize to Gurley's family.

"It's a double tragedy. It ruins the lives of two young men," said Mo. He believes the jury didn't see the whole picture of Liang's trial, which he believes is a story "more than Peter's finger on the trigger".

Mo said that the NYPD also bears some responsibility for putting rookie cops in the most dangerous jobs, and the New York City Housing Authority should be responsible for the dark staircase. Also, Mo pointed out that several officers testified that they didn't receive proper CPR training.

"Peter went to work that day to protect the lives of the New York City citizens. He never intended to hurt anyone," Mo said.

On the West Coast, a few WeChat groups have been set up to coordinate the rallies on Feb 20 in Los Angeles and San Francisco. As the date nears, supporters are discussing details such as which colors to wear and which slogans should be chanted that day.

In the Northern California WeChat group, possible slogans such as "Justice above politics" and "No Selective Justice" were discussed.

"I don't agree with the 'wearing red' on that day," Xie Bin, a WeChat user, wrote in a note circulated in a Northern California WeChat group. " 'Angry Bird' is also red.. All red will easily isolate us from the public."

Lia Zhu in San Francisco contributed to this story.

(China Daily USA 02/18/2016 page2)