[Updated: 12:20pm] Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley during his tribute to former Prime Minister Patrick Manning. PHOTO: (T&T Guardian/ANDRE ALEXANDER)
[Updated: 11:35am] Photographer Andre Alexander was at the Holy Trinity Cathedral this morning and captured these photos of the State funeral for former Prime Minister Patrick Manning.
As the first Defence Force officers did a slow march around the corner from Broadway to Independence Square, Port-of-Spain, the sound of a woman's cry of agony pierced the air.
The woman, Jocelyn Barrow of the San Fernando East constituency covered her mouth with shaking hands as tears streamed past the rim of her dark sunglasses. Her sister, Ann swayed into her, tears also on her face as sun glistened off the white uniforms of military officers in the procession.
Barrow and her three sisters were just four of the hundreds of mourners who lined the Brian Lara promenade on Independence Square to pay their respects to former prime minister and political leader of the People's National Movement (PNM) Patrick Manning.
As early as 8 am people gathered in the capital city, some in PNM t-shirts, scarfs and flags, some wearing national colours and others in white or black of mourning.
Police and soldiers instructed the crowds to step back, giving military officers the room to proceed.
The people listened, but grudgingly so.
"There will never be another prime minister like him," said one woman, sheltering from the heat under a wide umbrella.
"Never."
Similar sentiments murmured through the crowd.
The 15-minute procession reached the Trinity Cathedral, where hundreds sat under tents singing gospel songs and singing praises of Manning.
Manning's coffin, draped in red, black and white, the red both of his country and of his party, entered the Cathedral at 9.56 am.