IT’S not often mentioned, but among the awful legacies of decades-old political tribalism in Jamaica is the ‘roadblock’ demonstration involving the use of fire and debris to block the streets.

Jamaicans first became acquainted at close quarters with this highly anti-social form in 1979 when the then Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and its affiliates organised the so-called gas price protests at a time of extreme ideological divide fuelled by the Cold War.

Some of us remember the extreme sense of unreality and fear as thousands of working adults and schoolchildren were forced to walk miles — many women barefooted with high-heeled shoes in hand — buses having stopped running and, in any case, motorised traffic made impossible by blocked roads.

We remember the anarchy, the dense smoke and the stench of burning asphalt, tyres and other debris. For two to three days, in the infamous words of the JLP leadership at the time, Jamaica was shut down “tighter than a sardine tin”.

It’s a memory for which the JLP and more particularly its then leader, Mr Edward Seaga, should not be proud.

The horrible scenario was repeated in 1985 when the People’s National Party (PNP) and its affiliates got its own back in protest against tax increases and devaluations; and again in 1999 when the JLP — back in opposition — rapidly lost control of protests as looters, extortionists and hardened criminals took over.

The widespread public disgust in reaction to the 1999 experience suggested that the political value of such protest action had waned. Indeed, some analysts believe that those riots did serious damage to the JLP’s credibility.

From this distance we suspect that the admirably measured and restrained approach by the PNP leadership in lawful protests against the Government’s aborted tax package during the hectic days before Christmas was largely the result of the ’99 experience.

So perhaps — though we will not bet our lives on it — the society has reached a stage where our two leading political parties will never again organise such patently destructive action.

The sad truth, though, is that the damage is done. The roadblock culture which takes no account of the needs of others — of people needing to go to school and work, of the sick needing to get to hospital and travellers and tourists rushing to catch flights at the airports — has taken hold across much of the population.

Hence, the weekend’s “fiery” demonstration in Norwood, St James in response to another alleged wrongful killing by the police is just the latest of many such.

As we understand it, such protests are in clear breach of the laws governing littering and the flow of traffic on the public roads. Since the police on most occasions will only come across such illegal demonstrations after the fact, there are usually very few if any arrests. Also, we suspect that in many cases the police, fearful of making a bad situation worse — especially where demonstrators’ anger is aimed at the force itself — deliberately refrain from attempting to take people into custody.

Regardless, the society cannot continue to tolerate such lawlessness. Methods will have to be found to make people understand that there are ways to demonstrate without utilising violence and chaos and without inconveniencing their fellow citizens.

Separate and apart from the fact that some among them were the original culprits, politicians, we believe, have a moral responsibility to assertively seek to sway Jamaicans from such negative behaviour. Our political leaders could make a powerful statement by publicly apologising for the role of their parties in the past. The prime minister, Mr Bruce Golding, and his ruling JLP should lead the way.