AFTER a day of confrontation and hate, peace returned to Queen Square when it staged the start of a multi-faith walk to celebrate togetherness in Bristol.
About 150 people took part in the walk, organised by Bristol Multi Faith Forum and Building the Bridge, a group set up to encourage and support Muslims to play an active part in the city's communities.
The walk, supported by the city council, started in Queen Square before making its way across Pero's Bridge to Millennium Square.
People were asked to bring flowers, which were placed in the fountains at Millennium Square to signify peace and togetherness.
Representatives from the Church of England, Bristol Council of Mosques and city council were joined by Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhists and Sikhs on the walk.
Speakers included Richard McKay from City of Sanctuary and Kalsoom Bashir from the Bristol Women's Muslim Network.
Mrs Bashir, who is also chaplain at Bristol University, said: "We represent a diverse and complex community in Bristol who have a right to feel safe and protected and feel confident in standing up against extremist ideologists that want to divide us."
Also speaking at the peace walk was St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School Year 11 pupil Tanzil Gibbons, 16, who said: "I wanted to share my positive experiences of Bristol and how lucky I am to live in a multi- cultural city."
The city's Muslims heeded a call to stay away from the EDL and We Are Bristol demonstrations on Saturday and to support yesterday's event instead.
Mr Shabir said: "I hope that the walk is the start of recognising the individual values we bring to the city, collectively coming together and feeling proud of Bristol's identity."
City council executive member for community safety, Gary Hopkins, said: "The walk was a clear reminder to those who seek to divide that they are in a very small minority."
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