The entrance to Eden Park SAPS was packed with members of the community on November 21.

With the gathering, the group aimed to raise awareness about the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).

Church leaders, activists, the ward councillor, Eden Park SAPS, and members of the community all came together to say no to GBVF.

“Today is an emotional day. During the moment of silence, it felt as if I could hear people’s stories, hear their voices and see their faces. The weight of the moment made me lie down in the street,” said Natalie Abrahams from I Matter (NPO).

Some attendees of the gathering joined Abrahams to lie down on the street to symbolise the severity and impact of violence against women and children and to raise awareness and demand action against GBV and femicide.

The community took a 15-minute moment of silence to represent the countless lives impacted or lost daily due to GBV.

@albertonrecord Residents of Eden Park came out in numbers for an anti-GBV gathering on November 21. Details on albertonrecord.co.za #stopgbv #EdenPark #stopgbvsatiktok🤎🤎🇿🇦 #Alberton #Ekurhuleni ♬ Sad song by piano(899444) – NOVA

“With this gathering, community members in Eden Park are speaking against GBV. This is a sign that men and women in this community will no longer be silent about GBVF, and we gathered here to show support to victims of GBV.

“We did it in front of the police station because this is a collaborative effort by the community and the police so that people are not afraid to speak out,” said ward councillor Dino Peterson.

The anti-GBVF gathering wrapped up with organisers and community members releasing purple balloons into the air to mark the significance of the day.

To report or keep up with local anti-GBVF efforts, follow ‘I Matter’ on Facebook or visit their website.

WATCH: ‘Enough is enough’: South Africans march against gender-based violence