Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern led an estimated 5,000 people at the massive prayer service at Hagley Park in front of the Al Noor mosque, where most of the victims in the Christchurch shooting were killed.
Across New Zealand, the Islamic call to prayer, the adhan, rang out across on Friday afternoon as thousands gathered to honour the 50 people gunned down at two mosques in Christchurch one week ago, and observed two minutes of silence.
Prime Minister Arden in a short speech said “New Zealand mourns with you. We are one.”
Across New Zealand, thousands gathered at mosques in Wellington, Auckland and other cities for the prayers, with many non-Muslims wearing headscarves.
Armed police have been guarding mosques around New Zealand since the attacks, with a heightened presence Friday to reassure those attending weekly prayers.
New Zealand Herald reported that a Twitter post containing a photo of a gun and captioned “You are next” was sent to the prime minister. Reuters could not verify this independently.
The report said the account was suspended.
Most victims of New Zealand’s worst mass shooting were migrants or refugees from countries such as Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, Somalia, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
Muslims account for just over 1 percent of New Zealand’s population.
Many women wore headscarves in New Zealand as a sign of support to the community, and a #headscarfforharmony movement was trending on Twitter.
Via Reuters and New Zealand Herald
