Tens of thousands honour Jill Meagher

1 Oct 2012, 8:00 am   -   Source: AAP

Tens of thousands of people have solemnly marched through inner Melbourne to grieve killed ABC staffer Jill Meagher.

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Tens of thousands of people have rallied in inner Melbourne to mourn Jill Meagher, grieving her horrific death, and urging harmony and an end to violence in the community.

Police closed Brunswick's Sydney Road to traffic for more than an hour on Sunday as people of all ages walked where the 29-year-old ABC staffer spent her final moments before her alleged abduction and murder last weekend.

Hundreds laid flowers and notes, lit candles and signed a condolence book for Ms Meagher's family at makeshift memorials outside the local Baptist church, as well as the boutique where CCTV footage captured the moments before she disappeared.

Local resident Philip Werner, who organised the march, led the procession with a banner that read "Choosing peace, hope, non-violence and solidarity with all women".

Mr Werner said he had felt compelled to unite people, many of whom had never known Ms Meagher but shared in the shock and sadness of her death, which occurred as she walked from a bar on the popular nightlife strip towards her nearby home.

"When I saw the news that Jill's body had been found ... it really struck me, and I just wanted to get together with people in a show of solidarity and peaceful, quiet defiance to say we're not going to cower in fear, and we're not going to give up hope for society," he told AAP.

Mr Werner said he'd been humbled by the massive turnout, which saw a sea of people stretch for more than a kilometre down the street from noon (AEST).

"I thought there might be 10 people here ... what's great is everyone's here of their own accord," he said.

Maureen Roberts, 67, who marched with her husband Tony, held roses and wore a specially knitted orange, green and white scarf in a tribute to Ms Meagher's Irish homeland.

"My heart just aches for Jill and her family, and we just felt we had to be here, it's very moving," Mrs Roberts, who also has Irish heritage, told AAP.

Police estimated the crowd swelled into the tens of thousands.

Moreland mayor John Kavanagh said members of the grieving local community had also staged at a candle-lit vigil on Friday evening to remember Ms Meagher.

"The community has been deeply shaken and shocked by the events of the last week," Mr Kavanagh said.

Moreland City Council would next week discuss an influx of requests for Ms Meagher to be commemorated, he said.

Mr Kavanagh said he would discuss with police ways to enhance safety in the area, including a review of security cameras and lighting.

Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu has ordered an audit of Melbourne's CCTV network to identify any black spot, and pledged up to $3 million in funding for local councils to install new cameras.

"We believe (cameras) play an important role in providing security and safety for the public and we've seen this week that there's a huge contribution that can be made," Mr Baillieu told reporters on Saturday.

Ms Meagher's body was found in a shallow grave northwest of the city on Friday morning, almost a week after she disappeared in the early hours of September 22.

Coburg man Adrian Ernest Bayley, 41, has been charged with her rape and murder.

He is in custody awaiting a committal mention hearing on January 18.

Ms Meagher's grief-stricken parents, Edith and George McKeon, later visited the boutique to see for themselves the scores of tributes left to their daughter, and thanked the public and the media for their support.

Mrs McKeon hugged the owner of the boutique, whose in-store CCTV footage proved crucial to the police investigation.

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