Community activists are holding a public meeting tonight to try to find a solution to the gang violence plaguing Bermuda.

The meeting at 6.30 p.m. at the Bermuda Institute in Southampton is designed to allow both gang members and the general public to come up with answers.

It was called by activist Duane Santucci following last Sunday?s horrific gang clashes at the football match at Wellington Oval in St. George?s when thugs fought openly on the pitch with knives, swords, and machetes.

Mr. Santucci helped organise similar meetings to address the gang problem four years ago but they failed to resolve the problem.

Now he is hoping to organise meetings in every parish so gang members can come out without fear of violence if they travel beyond their neighbourhoods.

Journalists, politicians and the Police have been invited, although cameras will be banned and reporters will be asked not to publish the names of gang members.

?Bermuda has been undergoing this type of behaviour for some time now and about four or five years ago we tried to embrace gang violence by bringing ?town? and ?country? to speak to each other and iron out their differences,? Mr. Santucci said.

?We want to give the community a chance to react to what took place.

?These actions take place on a regular basis but we never get to see it.

?But for the community to see it on the television or the front page of the newspaper was horrific for people who have only ever heard about it.

?These attacks are horrific and it is time for the public to come out and try to support these meetings.

?We are going to go from parish to parish because we know sometimes people from so-called ?country? can?t go to ?town? and the other way around.

?We are not just here to listen but to try to get a solution to get some kind of peace accord.?