Thousands of women, along with men and children, marched through the streets of Juárez and closed the Paso del Norte International Bridge on Wednesday to commemorate International Women’s Day and to demand justice and freedom from all forms of violence.

Led by the families and friends of disappeared and murdered women and girls, the enormous crowd set out from the Museum of the Revolution in downtown Juárez toward a “ghost bike” memorial dedicated to slain activist Isabel Canabillas.

The march ended at the top of the Paso del Norte bridge, where U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents armed with projectile launchers erected orange barricades and kept watch over the crowd.

“Ciudad Juárez is where the term (femicide) originated,” Daniela Alvarado, a participant in the march, said. “We are here to demand justice for the women who have been victims of violence and to show that we are united, that we are not alone.”