An
Indian-American businessman, Rahul Dubey, who has been in the US for the past
17 years, is listed among the TIME magazine’s ‘Heros of 2020 after he sheltered
nearly 70 protesters demonstrating against the custodial killing of a black man
named George Floyd

TIME magazine
described Dubey as ‘The Man Who Gave Shelter to Those in Need On June 1’, after
he threw open his doors for the crowd when
they being attacked with pepper-sprays and trapped inside the barricades set up by
the police.

“I
open my door, and I start yelling, ‘Get in! All these people were swarming in. People
were coughing, crying, strangers pouring milk into strangers’ eyes,” Dubey told media according to an AFP report.

“They
were sharing information, writing down numbers for bail bondsmen. It was this
real camaraderie.” A report in TIME said Dubey claims police officers made
several attempts to breach his sanctuary that evening: posing as protesters
trying to get inside, and attempting to intercept the pizza delivery he had
ordered for his house guests.

Also Read: Indian-American astronaut Raja Chari selected by NASA for manned mission to Moon and beyond

Several
videos highlighting Dubey’s solidarity with the protesters also made rounds on
internet earlier this year.

 ‘Heroes of 2020’ edition of TIME also includes
name of food-stall owners Jason Chua and Hung Zhen Long in Singapore who
pledged free meals to the needy and elderly during the COVID-19 lockdown, Pastor
Reshorna Fitzpatrick and her husband Bishop Derrick Fitzpatrick of Chicago, who
transformed their church to community space to provide shelter during the pandemic
 year.

Another
hero on the list was a newspaper deliveryman Greg Dailey, who supplied more
than 140 homes with groceries after he began a grocery drop-off service in
mid-March to anyone in need along his paper route.