February 26th marks the 50th anniversary of the Black power Demonstration of 1970, which was commemorated with service at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Port of Spain.

  A few University students led by Geddes Granger – who later became Makandaal Daaga, took to the streets 50 years ago in what started as a demonstration outside the Royal Bank of Canada on Independence Square and which eventually attracted thousands of Trinidadians.

 They were in solidarity with the strug­gle for equal rights in Cana­da by stu­dents at­tend­ing the Sir George Williams Uni­ver­si­ty in Mon­tre­al.

In the March of  February 26th, 1970, protestors invaded the Roman Catholic Cathedral where they destroyed some states and painted others black.

 The local protests continued. It escalated on April 6th when one protester Basil Davis was shot near Woodford Square.

 The protests lasted until April 21st  when Prime Minister Dr Eric Williams declared a state of emergency and began a police crackdown.

Photo by Afra Raymond shows some of the protestors outside the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception on Wednesday morning to mark the 50th anniversary.