They held boxes bearing the number 177,581 and the face of a little boy. That innocent, carefree child - lost in unthinkable circumstances in modern Greater Manchester - has come to represent a powerful force for change.
A staggering number of Manchester Evening News readers have signed a petition in Awaab Ishak's name. Every one of the 177,581 people who backed our campaign - in conjunction with Shelter - at Change.org demanded that no other child die because of mould in their home.
The message was resoundingly clear, the need for urgent action even clearer.
