On Saturday, Kareem Robbery Lopez was executed on Central American Boulevard. Troy Hyde has been charged for his murder - and the scenario has put police on very high alert. That's because Robbery Lopez was a prominent George Street figure, and for police, the aftermath of his murder, and his funeral pose major security issues. And so today, his funeral was more than just that: it was an event, both for his gang fraternity and for the police who had to make sure no acts of retaliation were visited on the funeral or the procession. Monica Bodden was there and here's what she saw:..
Monica Bodden reporting
The body of 28 year old Kareem Robbery Lopez was transported one last time through the streets of Belize City.
The funeral procession was led by friends, family, George Street loyalists and Belize Police officers who followed the funeral hearse to the graveyard to make sure peace was being kept in the streets.
The procession of the notorious George Street gang figure arrived at the Lord Ridge cemetery a little after 4 this afternoon - where over a hundred people gathered to pay their last respects.
Truckloads of police officers patrolled the area - while many were deployed on ground.
The bus belonging to the Gang Suppression Unit was parked on Partridge Street - just yards away from Lopez's burial space.
Funeral goers wore black and red - colors of the bloods representing the George Street Gang.
Many members wore t-shirts with the face of Kareem Lopez - and weren't afraid to show them off to our camera.
High profile street figures such as Gerald Shiney Tillett, Brandon BET Tillett and Brian Brown escorted Lopez's body through the cemetery - in front of the crowd.
Then there was drumming - Gaza style send off for the George Street General. And while these mourners were trying to cope with laying their loved one to rest, in their minds they were still dealing with the possibility of being harassed by the large number of police officers present- as they have dealt with many times before while attending funeral's for gang members.
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