They banded together in response to a recent spate of violent home invasions and vicious unprovoked attacks in the area, which have been blamed on youth gangs and the Mongrel Mob.
Hastings district councillor Henare O'Keefe organised the 8km hikoi after masked men wearing red bandannas attacked his daughter's 21-year-old partner and forced their way into her home calling out "where's your missus?"
She was forced to hide her eight-week-old baby before confronting the men, who then left, apparently because she was not the person they were seeking, Mr O'Keefe told NZPA.
The turnout for the march was sensational, with people from all walks of life taking part, he said.
"Every class was represented on that hikoi. The fact that they turned up like that speaks volumes.
"If you saw this community today marching down the street and you were a perpetrator of crime, you would have to take notice."
Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule, who spoke during the hikoi, said people were sick of gang violence and the day offered them a chance to express their frustration.
"I've certainly had enough of it and I gave a very strong message to the gangs that they need to behave themselves because people are not going to tolerate the sort of violence we have seen in the past four weeks. It's against innocent people and it's unprovoked," he told NZPA.
As well as police, councillors and MPs, a number of gang members removed their patches and joined the march.
"Because they have families and children and all the rest of it," Mr Yule said.
"They would be left with no doubt, after the march, that what has happened is unacceptable and cannot continue."
The Mongrel Mob had been in Hastings for 50 years but for the most part kept to themselves.
"There have been various bits of violence from time to time but for the last 10 years they've largely been under the radar," Mr Yule said.
"But for the last six weeks it's been a full-on onslaught of violence."
Four Mongrel Mob members appeared in court this week on assault charges after allegedly attacking a 21st birthday party at Bridge Pa, west of Hastings, on Saturday night.
It was believed one of them was denied entry to the party so returned with more gang members, armed with a machete, knives and a baseball bat.
Five people were hospitalised and police said it was sheer luck they were not dealing with multiple homicides.
Both Mr Henare and Mr Yule said the goal of the hikoi was for people to take control and take responsibility for their own communities.
"I think the community need to look after their own homes. Look after each other, their neighbours, their streets and slowly stamp out this violence. People know where the violence exists, a lot of it does exist in the home," Mr Yule said.
