Christchurch mosque reopens after attacks

Worshippers have returned to the Al-Noor mosque in Christchurch for the first time since a mass shooting there in which dozens of people were killed.

The building had closed so police could investigate the attack but on Saturday small groups were allowed to return.

Fifty people were killed in shootings at two mosques on 15 March, BBC reports.

As the Al Noor mosque reopened, some 3,000 people walked through Christchurch on Saturday for a 'march for love' intended to honour victims.

Many walked in silence and some carried placards calling for peace and opposing racism.

Shila Nair, a migrant from India, travelled from Auckland to take part in the march. "We appreciate the solidarity, but it must be carried on," she said. "It cannot be allowed to fizzle out."

Australian Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old self-proclaimed white supremacist, has been charged with one murder in connection with the attacks and he is expected to face further charges.

Bullet holes gone, walls repainted

The Al-Noor mosque, where the majority of the victims were killed, was handed back to the city's Muslim community.

At around midday local time (23:00 GMT Friday), small groups of worshippers were allowed back onto the grounds.

"We are allowing 15 people at a time, just to get some normality," Saiyad Hassen, a volunteer at the mosque, told AFP news agency. He did not say when the mosque would fully reopen.

The mosque had been repaired, with bullet holes filled in and walls freshly painted, though the lack of rugs on the floor served as a reminder of what had happened.

"It is the place where we pray, where we meet, we'll be back," Ashif Shaikh, who was in the mosque at the time of the shooting, told Reuters news agency.