Thousands of people marched through the streets of New Zealand's Christchurch on Saturday in honor of the lives of 50 people shot dead in the city a week ago, while the two mosques in the city were reopened.

Some 3,000 marchers carried signs reading "He wanted to divide us but made us stronger" and "Welcome Muslims, not racists." The participants walked mostly silent or chanted in a low voice a hymn to peace.

"We feel as if hatred leads to a dark darkness - at times like this - and love is the most powerful medicine to get the city out of this darkness," said Mania Butler, 16, one of the students organizing the march.

Re-open the two mosques
While armed police were deployed at the site, the two mosques were reopened Saturday and the first prayer was held at the Al-Nour Mosque after Friday's massacre that killed dozens of worshipers.

"It is the place where we pray and we meet and we will return to it," Asif Sheikh told reporters.

He said he was on the day of the attack, in which two of his fellow inmates died.

Most of the victims - the worst random shooting in New Zealand's history - are migrants or refugees from countries such as Pakistan, India, Malaysia and Indonesia, as well as Turkey, Somalia, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

Authorities tightened security measures during Saturday's march - dozens of armed police and buses on both sides of the road stopped on the streets of the city to close.

Continuous support
Sheila Nair, an immigrant from India and working for an immigrant defense group called Shakti from Auckland, north of New Zealand, traveled to Christchurch on the east coast of the South Island, where the distance is more than 1,000 km.

"This support gives us hope and optimism that the immigrant and refugee community can be equal, we appreciate this solidarity, but it must continue, it can not be allowed to end, that is how social change happens," she said.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardirn, who quickly denounced the attack as terrorism and participated in many of the victims' funerals and memorials, announced a ban on semi-automatic and assault rifles of the type used in the armies.

Ardenne and New Zealand were widely praised for their sympathy, unity and strength in responding to the attacks.

According to New Zealand's population in 2013, Muslims account for just over 1 percent of the 4.8 million population.

On Friday, aired on television and radio stations across New Zealand, about 20,000 people attended prayers in the parking lot in front of the Nur Mosque to show solidarity. Many women wore veils to show their support.

Twenty-six of the victims were buried in a public cemetery in Christchurch on Friday - others were buried in private graves or returned home to be buried there.

Shahdat Hussein, whose brother was killed in the attack, told Reuters she would bring her brother's body back to Bangladesh.

"I do not know when our family will be able to overcome this sadness," she said.