Early estimates are coming in and detailing that a figure in the region of 1 million people strode boldy through the Colombian capital Bogota's streets today in a massive march in opposition to the FARC guerrilla group. Marches have been held simultaneously in other Colombian cities and around 150 cities worldwide including London, Paris, Madrid, Beijing, New York, Tel Aviv and Tokyo amongst others.

It has been quite a day.

In the weeks running up to this protest street vendors have been hawking t-shirts made for the protest, white flags and Colombian flags. All of this has come about by the efforts of one man in the Colombian city of Barranquilla and his group on facebook. Who could have and would have thought that today's protests would be the result? His group UN MILLON DE VOCES CONTRA LAS FARC took off in a manner that is unprecedented.

We went down to the Candelaria - the oldest part of the city - to the Plaza de Bolivar where everyone was set to congregate at midday. We were there an hour early and even then the Plaza was almost full to capacity with people of all shapes and sizes and various social strata. It was refreshing to see so many people shoulder to shoulder equal and united in this cause regardless of their income age or social class. I felt proud to be here.

Family members of disappeared loved ones walked round the Plaza with placards displaying photos of their missing relative with the date of the disappearance. Political parties, as you would imagine, got in on the act and had their banners up. The Bogota Town Hall on the western side of the Plaza was adorned with a massive poster of some of the most high profile individuals in captivity, namely former Presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and the three American contractors.

I have been to many a protest here in Bogota, mainly because I like to see what they are about and I like to speak to the people participating. This has been different. Most employers gave their employees leave of absence to attend, Universities cancelled classes and it showed. It felt as if everyone was here.

There was a police presence, but in truth it wasn't needed. This was a peaceful demonstration interrupted only by the ubiquitous yell of "Libertad, libertad, libertad" and someone else blowing on a whistle.    

This march, held in so many cities all over the world has come at the right time. While some political commentators have said that it serves for nothing I have to disagree. This will not ensure the liberation of the 700 and something prisoners that the FARC are holding in captivity but it shows that Colombia is resilient and doggedly battling this scourge.

One thing that is for certain is that the FARC commanders will be desperately trying to prevent their battalions from listening to any public radio stations and will have insisted that they only tune into their own propaganda station. This has been the case recently as desertions from the rank file of the guerrilla are reported to be at an all time high. The government is liberally smattering the airwaves with announcements telling the guerrilla to desert and turn themselves in. They are offered security, housing and some money, and for a great deal of the guerrilla (startlingly poor rural folk) this is more than they have ever had.

It is no secret that the FARC are probably at the lowest point in their history. I am not simply saying this due to today's march I am saying this because independent consultants believe their numbers to be close to 6000 or 8000. Seven years ago they numbered near to 15,000 and really could have toppled the state. In 2007 and 2008 some very high ranking FARC have been caught or killed and it has been reported, first in the Brazilian press, that the FARC leader Manuel "Tirofijo" Marulanda has terminal cancer and the guerrilla group is in the midst of a destructive internal power struggle.

But back to the march. We were there, as were thousands of others. It was incredible, it was peaceful, it instilled us with pride to be part of the communal voice shouting out as one. We were, all dressed in white, an ocean of white coursing through the streets today.

No Mas Farc