Jill Meagher remembered as thousands march down Sydney Road in Melbourne - ABC Online

Updated September 30, 2013 00:03:04

Thousands of people have marched past the place where ABC employee Jill Meagher was abducted last year to remember her death.

Ms Meagher was raped and killed just over 12 months ago after walking along Sydney Road, Brunswick, in Melbourne's inner-north.

Adrian Bayley has been sentenced to life in prison for the crimes.

Artist Philip Werner, whose Facebook post last year sparked a 30,000-strong march to honour Ms Meagher and other victims, was not surprised that thousands again turned up to honour victims of violence.

"I've called it a peace march and I believe people are here because they want to express the opposite sentiment to the things that led to the murder," Werner said.

Sasha Chambers carried a defiant sign with a message for Ms Meagher's killer Adrian Bayley and Steven James Hunter, who murdered Sarah Cafferkey.

"Two off our streets a fair few to go. This is for the voiceless, we will love you always," it read.

Ms Chambers said she had decided to march because more needed to be done for the safety of the community.

Christian Vega, from sex worker organisation Vixen, was there to honour his friend Tracy Connelly who was found murdered in St Kilda earlier this year.

"On a policy level we should be doing so much more," Mr Vega said.

The murder of 29-year-old Ms Meagher as she walked home last year sparked a successful push to change Victoria's parole laws.

Bayley, currently serving a life sentence, on Thursday had his application to appeal his sentence denied.

Another marcher, Lizzie Marks, along with 15 friends, carried white flowers to protest violence.

They brought their sons and daughters to "make them aware".

Victorian Premier Denis Napthine joined today's crowd and said it is important people continue speak out against such crimes.

"We're all devastated and affected by the tragic murder of Jill Meagher, and our hearts go out to her husband Tom and her family," he said.

"I think there was a spontaneous feeling right across Melbourne and Victoria that we need to take a stand...against violence against women and violence in our society."

Bayley failed in a bid last week to have his sentence reduced.

Ms Meagher's husband, Tom, blasted legal aid for funding Bayley's bid, labelling it a waste of money.

ABC/AAP

Topics: murder-and-manslaughter, crime, law-crime-and-justice, sexual-offences, community-and-society, brunswick-3056, vic, australia

First posted September 29, 2013 16:47:39