IN A rolling wave across the capital city, community after community is openly rejecting the authority of the Government and its security forces and is embracing the rule of the Don. The rule of 'community leaders' is nothing new. It has long been part of the tribalist political culture which has so scarred this country and impeded its development. What is new is the brazen street protests in open support of Dons and against the security forces. Political control of area leaders has, from all appearances, completely disappeared.
Nearly two years ago the Zekes Uprising shut down sections of downtown Kingston for days and forced the release of a prominent area leader from police custody. Threats were openly issued against the security forces and the rest of the society and ultimatums delivered. Mountain View Avenue was shut down only a few weeks ago. Hardly a month has passed without a similar case.
Two weeks ago the residents of 'Commons' off the Red Hills Road also took street action in the defence of their proclaimed protector who was wanted by the police for questioning on several counts of shooting. No sooner had 'Commons' quieted down, than Rockfort exploded in protest against the police taking in an area leader for questioning. Protestors formed a human chain across Windward Road, the sole access road to the Norman Manley International Airport.
The spark seems to have been the backfiring of internal community justice applied over the robbery of a shop. The intervention of Member of Parliament for East Kingston, Phillip Paulwell and Councillor for the Norman Gardens Division of the KSAC, Angella Brown-Burke did not make much difference.
Whatever the causes of the breakdown, the Government and country are facing a serious crisis of law and order when the authority of the state is so regularly and openly flouted by growing segments of the society. The brutality of the security forces against certain sections of the citizenry has been implicated, as well as the incapacity of the forces to provide state security in certain areas. But the complicity of communities in fomenting crime and violence and general lawlessness must on no account be overlooked.
The deafening silence of the Government over this spreading menace to the authority of the state is alarming.
The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner.
