Men were urged to take to the streets in their own march against violence yesterday when a 3,000-name petition condemning the growing tide of physical abuse on the Island was handed to Government.

Stabbing victim Kariim Wales, who was attacked while working as a security officer at CedarBridge Academy earlier this year, joined about 250 people who demonstrated through the streets of Hamilton to raise awareness about domestic abuse and violence.

The march was arranged by the Women's Resource Centre, the Physical Abuse Centre and the Coalition for the Protection of Children following the death of mother-of-three Chena Trott three weeks ago.

Organiser are lobbying for a specially-trained Police response team to be set up solely to deal with domestic violence and for laws to be changed to enable Police to prosecute where victims are too afraid to press charges.

Among the marchers were a number of victims of abuse, as well as close family and friends of Ms. Trott.

Upon taking the podium outside of Cabinet, Mr. Wales said it was good for women to make a stand against violence but he believed men needed to join the campaign.

He said: "There is a lot of anger out there and it's justifiable. A lot of crime is happening on the Island and it's due to our men and it needs to be fixed.

"The men in Bermuda need to come together. We need to show these individuals out there who are committing these crimes that it's wrong and their lifestyle is wrong.

"There are a lot of good men on this Island, but they need to be out here."

He recalled when men in Washington DC held a demonstration entitled the Million Men March and said it was time Bermuda had a similar event named the Thousand Men March.

Mr. Wales, a young father and husband who almost lost his life in the attack, said he would organise a march of men in order raise awareness among the males of the Island.

"I ask every man who claims to be a man to come out," said Mr. Wales.

"I want every man, from all sides of the Island, every race, creed and religion and business Even if we have to shut the Island down for a day, we need to come out.

"We need to show these brothers who are doing wrong how a man should act."

A crowd of about 250 gathered outside City Hall with placards at 12.30 p.m. and marched along Church Street, Queen Street and Front Street to the Cabinet Building while shouting "no more violence".

They were joined by Labour and Home Affairs Minister Terry Lister, his permanent secretary Robert Horton, Shadow Minister for Legislative Affairs John Barritt and Shadow Minister for Women's Affairs and Environment Kim Young.

Ms Trott's sister Tanya Trott said she could not have let yesterday go by without joining the march.

She said: "I have marched for Chena. It was very important for people to come out today."

Chairwoman of the Women's Resource Centre Penny Dill handed the petition over to Dame Lois Browne-Evans, who accepted it on behalf of the Premier.

Ms Dill said the petition had been collated in just a week, which showed the strength of feeling in the community.

Dame Lois congratulated the crowd and promised to study the petition, but said: "Legislation can only assist in dealing with violence, it cannot stop the violence. Each and every one of you here, as parents, a mother or a father, men and women, must help in this stopping of the violence.

"Women can't do it by themselves and men can't do it by themselves, but together ....people must come together to eradicate the thoughts and impulses that make violence."

June Augustus, of the Physical Abuse Centre, said she believed the change in society, with television, less Sunday School and greater exposure to suggestive cultures had resulted in the greater violence.

She said: "It is difficult to describe the horror and turmoil caused by the increased violence in our community.

"We have witnessed tragedy, we have witnessed violence without remorse, and we have witnessed violence for violence sake.

"What this tells us clearly is that violence is too dominant a factor in our lives, as we know it today."