ROCK ISLAND, Illinois - It started with just a few people and soon they became a larger force, wearing the color purple to raise awareness about domestic violence.
"They say 1 in 4 women are victims of domestic violence and 1 in 7 men, those statistics are staggering," said Emily Cummings, Rock Island Domestic Victim Advocate.
The marchers chanted to show that domestic violence comes in all forms.
"That emotional component is really, really strong and you don't see the bruises on the outside but you feel it on the inside, they say that's one of the most impactful forms of domestic violence," said Cummings.
The group read off reasons why people stay in abusive relationships and for some it hit close to home.
"My mom herself went through this when she was younger and as a child seeing that is really a bad thing," said Joycelyn Clinton, Sgt. first class.
Domestic violence can be hard to identify, but there are some things to look out for.
"Some depressed signs or covering up bruises or not feeling good about themselves or talking about this unhealthy relationship, really being there to listen is the number one thing that you can do," said Cummings.