Washington, March 25 (IANS): People from the Jewish, Muslim, and Indian American communities gathered on the steps of Tifereth Israel Synagogue in northwest Washington and stood in solidarity against rising hate crimes in the US.

"This is about having peace throughout all communities and religions and races," said Rochelle Berman, who was present at the event on Friday night.

The slogan "We Stand Together Against Hate" was held high above the crowd at the top of the synagogue's steps, reported WJLA news portal, an ABC Television affiliate. 

"There should be no discrimination based on race, or gender or skin colour," said a woman.

This year discrimination across the country fuelled vandalism, bomb threats and murders, such as Indian American Srinivas Kuchibholta who was shot and killed during a Kansas hate crime.

"There are just a lot of challenges out there that basically unity is going to bring us all together," said another attendant.

Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla was shot dead while another Indian Alok Madasani was injured in Kansas last month in an apparent hate crime. 

An Indian-origin girl was racially abused on a train by an African-American man in New York on February 23.

A 43-year-old Indian-origin store owner, Harnish Patel, was shot dead outside his home in Lancaster County, South Carolina earlier in March.

A Sikh man, Deep Rai, an American citizen, was also fired upon in a racial attack earlier this month.

Also, there has been a rise in anti-Semitic threats and vandalism across the country, which included bomb threats at 90 Jewish community centres and the desecration of cemeteries in several US states last month.