Peace March for Jill Meagher
The mother of Jill Meagher has visited the site in Sydney Road where her 29-year-old daughter was last seen alive.
Yesterday afternoon, Edith McKeon, who arrived in Melbourne from Perth, stood outside the Duchess Boutique - which has become somewhat of a shrine to Ms Meagher, who disappeared more than a week ago.
Ms McKeon, accompanied by family members, took time to read the messages attached to the hundreds of bouquets of flowers that lay outside the boutique, where a CCTV camera captured the chilling few moments where the ABC staffer was filmed talking with a man in a blue hoodie, who has since been charged with her rape and murder.
Touched by the overwhelming show of support, Mrs Mckeon felt compelled to thank the public.
"I would like to thank the huge support from Melbourne. It's just been unbelievable and just thank you," she told Channel Ten.
"Simply, thank you and I hope they put cameras in here. Keep people safe and just thank you everybody for all your support."
Earlier in the day, traffic was closed to Sydney Road, in Brunswick, for more than an hour as tens of thousands of Victorians came to protest against violence and remember the Irish woman who this week touched and united an entire city.
Many carried signs urging an end to violence but not an end to women's right to walk the streets at night.
'No Violence. Remember Jill Meagher,' read one placard.
'I won't close with fear. I'll open with love', read another.
"You should be able to go out at your own free will and feel safe doing it," said Marilyn Sant, from Yarraville, who took part in yesterday's peaceful march with her sister.
She was among dozens calling for women to be vigilant but not afraid.
"We felt that we had to do something. So we're here today for Jill and her poor husband but also to urge the community to watch out for one another," she said.
Many wept openly - even though they had never met the 29-year-old, whose young life abruptly ended on a walk home from Friday night drinks.
"I think it's touched us all because we all feel that it could have been any one of us", said Virginia Edwards from Spotswood. "I don't have a friend, including myself, who hasn't gone for a drink after work and walked off alone to catch a taxi or whatever. It could've been our sisters, our mothers, our friends and so we are all hurting for this beautiful girl and her family."
Karyn Richardson, a mother-of-three daughters said: "Naturally we thought it was a terrible tragedy.... We just wanted to do something to try and stop this violence because you can't help but think it could've been your own daughter."
Police estimated more than 30,000 attended the march which stretched over a kilometre from Moreland Road to Brunswick Street.
Along the way, many men, women and children stopped to lay flowers at the Duchess Boutique.
Others paused a few doors up, at the Brunswick Baptist Church, to light a candle and say a prayer.
Later in the day a condolence book was available outside the church for people to express their condolences to Jill's family.
One note summed up the purpose of the march. Casey wrote "Jill, I hope you watched today as thousands of people came out to honour your beautiful life and to ensure your life and death are never forgotten.
"The nature of your passing is not acceptable, and you have bought a community together to show we will not tolerate it."
Source has photos.
Yesterday afternoon, Edith McKeon, who arrived in Melbourne from Perth, stood outside the Duchess Boutique - which has become somewhat of a shrine to Ms Meagher, who disappeared more than a week ago.
Ms McKeon, accompanied by family members, took time to read the messages attached to the hundreds of bouquets of flowers that lay outside the boutique, where a CCTV camera captured the chilling few moments where the ABC staffer was filmed talking with a man in a blue hoodie, who has since been charged with her rape and murder.
Touched by the overwhelming show of support, Mrs Mckeon felt compelled to thank the public.
"I would like to thank the huge support from Melbourne. It's just been unbelievable and just thank you," she told Channel Ten.
"Simply, thank you and I hope they put cameras in here. Keep people safe and just thank you everybody for all your support."
Earlier in the day, traffic was closed to Sydney Road, in Brunswick, for more than an hour as tens of thousands of Victorians came to protest against violence and remember the Irish woman who this week touched and united an entire city.
Many carried signs urging an end to violence but not an end to women's right to walk the streets at night.
'No Violence. Remember Jill Meagher,' read one placard.
'I won't close with fear. I'll open with love', read another.
"You should be able to go out at your own free will and feel safe doing it," said Marilyn Sant, from Yarraville, who took part in yesterday's peaceful march with her sister.
She was among dozens calling for women to be vigilant but not afraid.
"We felt that we had to do something. So we're here today for Jill and her poor husband but also to urge the community to watch out for one another," she said.
Many wept openly - even though they had never met the 29-year-old, whose young life abruptly ended on a walk home from Friday night drinks.
"I think it's touched us all because we all feel that it could have been any one of us", said Virginia Edwards from Spotswood. "I don't have a friend, including myself, who hasn't gone for a drink after work and walked off alone to catch a taxi or whatever. It could've been our sisters, our mothers, our friends and so we are all hurting for this beautiful girl and her family."
Karyn Richardson, a mother-of-three daughters said: "Naturally we thought it was a terrible tragedy.... We just wanted to do something to try and stop this violence because you can't help but think it could've been your own daughter."
Police estimated more than 30,000 attended the march which stretched over a kilometre from Moreland Road to Brunswick Street.
Along the way, many men, women and children stopped to lay flowers at the Duchess Boutique.
Others paused a few doors up, at the Brunswick Baptist Church, to light a candle and say a prayer.
Later in the day a condolence book was available outside the church for people to express their condolences to Jill's family.
One note summed up the purpose of the march. Casey wrote "Jill, I hope you watched today as thousands of people came out to honour your beautiful life and to ensure your life and death are never forgotten.
"The nature of your passing is not acceptable, and you have bought a community together to show we will not tolerate it."
Source has photos.