Catholic leaders march on day of peace in East Timorese capital. Residents of East Timor's capital Dili witnessed a rare display of peace today ... as hundreds of Catholic nuns, priests and Nobel Laureate, Bishop Carlos Belo marched through the city. Starting at the Dili Cathedral, the procession wended its way through the streets that have been the scene of so much violence this year – with pro-Jakarta paramilitary attacking supporters of independence from Indonesia. This week four people were killed by paramilitary raiding several homes and city districts. Freelance journalist Jenny Grant spoke to Di Martin as the procession went by.

Jenny Grant: It's an amazing scene down here in Dili, around 600 priests, nuns and novices are walking in two lines through the streets of Dili. They're swinging their rosaries, there are praying it's a very silent protest against the violence here in the last few weeks. And the Bishop is very upset with that violence. This is a march against the violence that has been going on by the paramilitary. Residents here who are looking on to the march say it's the best thing they could, this very silent protest from the church.

Q: And where is the march going?

Jenny: The march starting at the Cathedral and now they are marching through some of the back suburbs down towards Becora and then back to Bishop Belo's house. It will end the statue there at his home.

Q: So some of the areas where some of these violence has been seeing?

Jenny: Although they are not making a particular to actually go past areas of violence but they certainly would be passing some of the areas that had been attacked.

Q: Now are ordinary people joining in?

Jenny: No ordinary people are allowed, this is just for the priests and the nuns. There is group of around 100 people behind the march. Bishop Belo is walking at the very back of the march with rosary beads but the area is actually cordoned off by church officials. This is just purely for religious orders.

Q: Are people coming out of the houses and actually watching the procession is it creating much interest.

Jenny: Yes, people have lined the roads, very quietly everyone is watching is astonishing that this is going on after such a violent week in Dili.

Q: Because are these marches actually safe? There have been open attacks on church, church properties people sheltering in church grounds.

Jenny: Well Bishop Belo tried to keep this march very quite. We only really found out about late last night and we were not allowed to tell anyone, so I think he was very concerned about security. Ah, behind the march we have some police, we have a police truck guarding the march with about six police just going by me now. So the Bishop has made some security efforts.

Q: The question is will those police actually protect the march if there is any trouble, because of course the Bishop convoy was attacked, the convoy that you were part of just last month.

Jenny: I think this is a very special march, and I would very surprised if anyone try to break it up. If they did it would certainly be the worst thing the paramilitary could do.

Q: What kind of effect do you think is going to have an effect do you think is going to have on the resident of Dili some of whom have been living in such fear

Jenny: It's already having a very calming effect on residents, one man I Spoke said this is the best the church could do, that after such a violent week, there is calm, there is quite – this is exactly what the residents need.