People gathered in National Heroes Square, The City earlier today to catch a glimpse of the cortège of the late Prime Minister Professor Owen Arthur.
While waiting, they were kept entertained by gospel performances broadcast on a projector. There was also a montage of Arthur.
Those gathered watched the procession leave Lyndhurst Funeral Home at Passage Road, St Michael, shortly before noon, as shown on the projector and, in what seemed like hardly any time at all, the hearse carrying Arthur’s body was in front of the Parliament Buildings where the procession stopped briefly for a moment of silence.
From there, the cortège drove down Broad Street, much to the surprise of some who were not aware, as Broad Street is normally one way.
The whole affair took around 15 minutes, leaving some people scrambling to get a peek, with others missing the procession altogether.
A young woman said she hurried out of Cave Shepherd to get a look but was too late, while another woman said she came to town to see it but may have to go to St Peter where the procession was headed.
“I heard it would be in town around 1 p.m. but I missed it. I liked the [former] Prime Minister very much, I can’t speak bad about him. I may have to catch a bus to St Peter now,” she said.
The service began at St Peter’s Parish Church at 2 p.m. (CA)
