4,000 PLEAD FOR HELP TO MAKE JUAREZ SAFE

JUAREZ -- At least 4,000 people -- the same number of people killed in
two years in Juarez -- united in Mexico's deadliest city Sunday.

Their message was clear: peace.

Adults and children carried white flags, white flowers and signs
asking for a stop to the violence. They chanted, "Paz por Juarez
(peace for Juarez)" and "Juarez unido, jamas sera vencido! (Juarez
united will never be defeated)."

They walked steadily, rhythmically and punched fists and peace signs
in the air.

The demonstration began beneath the massive Mexican flag at Chamizal
Park about noon. Protesters then walked more than two miles on Heroico
Colegio Militar Avenue to city hall. Mexican federal, state and
transit police with assault rifles lined the parade route.

At city hall, members of organizations urged Juarez Mayor Jose Reyes
Ferriz and other city officials to do more to stop the bloodshed.

The petition, which was compiled by more than 100 organizations from
Juarez, asked for government accountability. The groups demanded the
government form a program to assist victims of violence, restructure
Mexican law enforcement and create citizen advisory groups to help
authorities.

More than 100 groups organized the protest, which was called "Solucion
para Juarez (A Solution for Juarez)."

Candelaria Vasquez, 67, said she learned about the demonstration at
her grandson's school. She said she wanted to be part of the march to
support the families of innocent people who have died.

"I came to ask for peace for Juarez. There are too many injustices
that are happening. Sometimes even innocent children are killed," she
said as she waddled with the help of a cane beside the shouting
masses. "We are asking for higher authorities to help us. To help us
stop these injustices."

Elena Hernandez, 50, said she attended the protest in memory of her
daughter. Her daughter, 30-year-old Alicia Ruiz Hernandez, was gunned
down in October.

Elena Hernandez said her daughter was a lawyer. She said her daughter
was a good person with morals who didn't deserve to die.

"The people who took her life didn't know what type of person she was.
She was a very good person," she said as tears streaked her face. "I
want them to bring her back. Who is going to bring her back?

I cry every day and night. But who's going to bring her back? I ask
myself, 'Why?' I want to ask those who killed her, 'Why?' But who will
give me an answer. Nobody."

Alicia Hernandez left behind three sons, ages 8, 6 and 5. They ask for
their mother every day, Elena Hernandez said.

"I told her several times to leave her job because it was dangerous
and she could get killed," she said. "She loved her job. She was
completely dedicated to her job and her community."

Guillermo Asiain, 26, a member of Jovenes por Juarez, an organization
dedicated to stopping the violence, said the protest was only the
first step. He said much more will need to be done to stop the
violence among drug cartels, reportedly the Juarez and Sinaloa
cartels, battling for control of the area's drug trade.

The rally, he said, was organized because people are
desperate.

"The important thing is tell the government, 'Government, we need
this.' To tell the community, 'Community, we need you to do this.
Which organization are you going to commit to? What are you going to
do?'" he said. "What doesn't count is for you (the community) not to
do anything. ... The question is, 'What are you going to do for Juarez?'"

Everyone, he said, has to do their part to stop the
brutality.

Asiain said one of his friends was recently killed. He said he learned
a valuable lesson at the funeral.

During the funeral, his friend's father said he repeatedly told his
son not to go out at night for fear of something happening to him. His
son always replied, he didn't want to be a "slave to fear."

"The gentleman told us youngsters, 'Don't be slaves to fear. Go out on
the streets. We cannot be slaves to this violence and criminals,'"
Asiain said. "All these organizations have decided to be free, not
slaves. In El Paso, Ciudad Juarez -- wherever -- we must not be slaves
to fear."