CARRYING flags, candles and banners, several hundred women and men braved the freezing cold to support a "Reclaim the Night" march in Dublin last night.
The event was a symbolic gesture to express sympathy and solidarity for those who had suffered from violent crime, said Ms Roisin McDermott, chairwoman of Women's Aid.
Already this year, two women had been killed and four women were unaccounted for. She felt particularly sad that a "Reclaim the Night" march still had to be held after 25 years of the Irish women's movement.
Ms Rita Fagan, a community worker, said women were now, prisoners in their own homes. She called for action to tackle the root causes of violence. The Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, should give more resources to organisations helping women to cope, she said.