Almost 100 people gathered outside the town hall on Saturday evening in a poignant act of solidarity.

Candles were distributed as the crowd held a minute of silence while reflecting on the faces of the 49 people killed in the attack on Sunday, when heavily armed gunman Omar Mateen opened fire and seized hostages at the gay nightclub Pulse.

Emotional leaders of Ballarat’s LGBTI community told the crowd they would not be silenced or oppressed by fear.

They wrapped their arms around each other as the faces of those killed flashed before them on a projector screen.

LGBTI activist Rachel Edgington condemned the act.

“This is a hate crime targeted at our community,” Ms Edgington said. “Gay nightclubs are supposed to be safe havens for us. They are supposed to be a place where we can be ourselves and where we are safe among our community.” 

Vigil organiser and Equal Love co-convener Koby Bunney implored the Ballarat community to unite together to show victims, survivors of the attack and their families they were not alone.

“We will not be forced back into the closet,” Mr Bunney said. “We stand here for our brothers and sisters in Orlando.We will not be terrorised, we will not live in fear. We will fight for our human rights today and tomorrow. We will fight hate with love and we will win.”

LGBTI advocate and mother Carolann Vassallo spoke of Brenda Marquez McCool who sacrificed her own life to protect her gay son Isaiah inside the Orlando nightclub as the horror unfolded. 

“As the mother of a gay daughter this just breaks my heart,” she said. “This mother was there because she wanted to protect her son because she did not think he was safe. But together we are stronger and together we are safer.”

The city’s rainbow flag, a symbol of gay pride, will remain at mast in honour of the victims until the end of the weekend.