Bermudians tired of the rise in violence will take to the streets tomorrow in a march intended to unify the Island.

Organiser Antonio Belvedere is hoping more than 1000 residents turn out to support of the cause. The plan is to walk from Albuoy's Point at noon, to the House of Assembly where there will be music, speeches and poetry.

"I'm 23 years old and I'm tired of the violence and the killings," said organiser Antonio Belvedere.

"My goal is to get Bermudians to come out and to convey the message that we're tired."

Fourteen people have been shot on the Island this year. Two of the shootings have been fatal.

The most recent saw 30-year-old Kumi Harford gunned down Saturday morning on St. Monica's Road. No one has been arrested yet for the murder.

Mr. Belvedere said: "With this most recent shooting, I felt like crying. This is not the Bermuda I know, not the Bermuda I want.

"I don't want to see less than 1,000 people coming out. We have 65,000 on this Island, we should be able to get 1,000."

Already 400 people have committed CedarBridge Academy and Saltus Grammar School have also promised support.

He added: "We need to all come together as one, and that means the public and the Government."

Marchers will carry a coffin. Mr. Belvedere intends to wear a real or fake bulletproof jacket. "If we don't do something we will all be wearing bullet proof vests," he said.

"People know who is shooting who, but there's this wall of silence. We need to break that silence."

The following Friday, December 18, Mr. Belvedere will be involved in a second, similar event.

The Bermuda Youth Peace Builders, a group of students from public and private schools, will host a 'Rally for Peace' in Par-la-Ville Park from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.

Mentoring organisation YouthNet will also take part in the event. Executive director Claire Mello described it as an opportunity for Bermuda's young people to express their opinions on the upswell of violence.

"Youth are the most powerful advocates for change," she said.

"There are a lot of young people engaged in positive stuff, but it seems that a lot of the time the young people all get painted with one brush. This is an opportunity for the youth to express how it makes them feel and how it affects them."

About 100 young people have already agreed to take part in the rally. Organisers are hoping more than 300 will get involved.

"We're hoping that people will go out on their Friday night shopping, grab something to eat, and then come to the park and sit down with some of the Island's young people," said Ms Mello.

"We're going to have music, and all sorts of peace activities."